The Avondhu

LITTER PICK GIVES COMMUNITY A LIFT

- JOHN AHERN

Those involved in Tidy Towns or other community enhancemen­t initiative­s need a positive outlook. This quality is really tested when it comes to litter. You pick the offending litter from a roadside or ditch and return a week later essentiall­y having to replicate the exercise.

Litter/fly tipping/illegal dumping was, is and remains a huge issue for every urban and rural community in Ireland - despite sustained publicity campaigns and heartfelt appeals, the problem remains - as a result, hard pressed community activists must keep picking.

Adhering to current Covid-19 restrictio­ns, members of Araglin Community Council were on litter picking duty last weekend. Not the most pleasant job in the world, volunteers set about their work in an efficient manner and it didn’t take long for the waste to pile up - while all manner of rubbish was collected, takeaway cups, mineral cans/ bottles, fast food wrapping, an assortment of plastic and discarded cigarette packets were noted as the main offenders.

The ‘pick’ was co-ordinated by community council chairman, Aidan Leddy, who was delighted with the efforts of his fellow committee members. At day’s end, several black bags of waste had been filled, which in turn was brought to the official refuse site depot in Araglin, where County Council personnel collected it.

DOING MORE THAN THEIR BIT

In recent times, Araglin Community Council have engaged in tree planting programmes, the erection of signs and the instalatio­n of an ‘Araglin Valley’ stone, which has a prominent location, close to the local grotto. This work has been carried out with the sole purpose of enhancing an area of great natural beauty.

 ?? (Pic: John Ahern) ?? The Leddys, l-r: Aidan, Shane and Aoife, with a selection of the litter collected by members of Araglin Community Council.
(Pic: John Ahern) The Leddys, l-r: Aidan, Shane and Aoife, with a selection of the litter collected by members of Araglin Community Council.

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