Pick a patch and clean up Oban
LITTER busters across Oban are being called on to help keep the town beautiful.
A Facebook group, started last year, has attracted more than 200 followers and it is hoped to sign up businesses, streets, groups, clubs and other organisations willing to dedicate a weekend from March 24-25 to rid areas of the town of rubbish.
Letters about the big spring clean are going out this week to 400 local businesses to hopefully get them on board.
And Maurice Wilkins and other volunteers from the Keep Oban Beautiful group are inviting anyone else interested in getting involved, from weekly groups to neighbours, to make it a town-wide event and get in touch with their chosen hotA spot so they can map out all the areas being targeted.
‘We’re going to be putting up posters to get people’s attention. We’d love to make this a townwide event and get as many people involved as possible to make Oban a litter-free town as well as a university town.
‘It would be great to see that up on a sign coming into Oban one day.
‘We know there are a lot of people who already pick up litter, which is great. We’re not trying to take over people’s efforts. We’re just wanting to bring it all together a bit.
‘Bid4Oban are helping us by contacting local businesses and we’ve put it up on our Facebook and the Information Oban site,’ said Mr Wilkins.
Litter picking equipment will be available for loan on the weekend from Rockfield Community Centre, which will be the event’s hub. Support is also coming from the GRAB Trust, a charitable social enterprise that has been backing activities linked to litter and recycling in Argyll and Bute for 20 years.
MacQueen Bros Charitable Trust is also helping. It has supplied hi-viz vests to the group in the past and has agreed to buy a number of litter-picker sticks.
‘Quite a few people have been in touch already as word about the weekend spreads but we hope to hear from many more,’ said Mr Wilkins who worked as a head gardener at Arduaine Gardens for 23 years.
People taking part are also being encouraged to take before and after pictures over the weekend to show off the difference they make. Argyll and Bute Council has agreed to provide a cage basket outside Rockfield Community Centre to collect the rubbish which will be picked up on the Monday, said Mr Wilkins.
A van will also be doing the rounds during the weekend to clear the full rubbish bags.
Mr Wilkins said: ‘The weekend will be a bit of an experiment for us.
‘We hope it will be a success and there will be lots of enthusiasm for cleaning Oban up.
‘Ultimately we are organising this event in the hope the day will come when we won’t need to do anything like this because everyone will take responsibility for binning their own litter – and not just dump it around town.’
Anyone interested in supporting Keep Oban Beautiful’s Spring Clean should contact c.rizos@btinternet.com or call 07891 543540.