WITH just one week to go more than 120 volunteers have registered for the Warrington Crown Litter Pick next Bank Holiday Monday (May 8) as part of the King’s Coronation celebrations.
The Warrington Litter Network has secured generous local funding support from Novelis UK in Latchford, which has enabled them to equip up to 200 volunteers.
The 120 volunteers booked in at this stage, organised into 9 teams with experienced and trained leaders and deputy leaders. The event is being supported by Warrington Borough Council.
On May 8th the day will start with an 0845 Team Photo with the Mayor in full regalia outside the Golden Gates, or on the Town Hall Lawn, including a drone photo.
At 9-15 all 10 teams will depart to their start points and the Warrington East Cubs will start the first leg for Team 1, through the pedestrianised centre including the Skittles.
At 9.45 all teams will kit up and complete their safety briefing, ready to start at 10 am. The pick will be along the 13.5km crown route (see digital map). Each team covers 1.5-2km. The route will be completed in two hours, to finish at midday. From 1 pm onwards the volunteers (in hi-vis) will gather at the Warrington Market Cookhouse to close off the occasion.
Co-ordinator Tony Dixon said: “This unique litter-pick will leave a legacy of reusable high-quality litter-picking equipment which will enable further spin-off projects.”
Talks have already taken place with the Wolves Foundation about setting up a Warrington Wolves Litter Team. The first trial post-match litter pick took place recently and plans are in place to move towards a regularly equipped team of new volunteers from the Wolves, to tidy the neighbourhood around the stadium to contribute to a tidier town centre.
Talks have also taken place at the new Warrington Youth Zone, where they hope to work towards a similar arrangement.
Tony added: “We hope that the two groups will overlap, and possibly combine to generate real synergy. This will help the district from the Halliwell Jones Stadium to Warrington Central Station and Warrington Bus Station look the best they can be. Watch this space.
“Finally we expect to retain a new cohort of volunteers and experienced and capable leaders from this event, which will strengthen our litter teams. In the longer term this will be very good news for Warrington, which we want to see as the tidiest large town in the North West!
The Warrington Litter Networks were the first community organisation in the town to receive a Warrington Worldwide Legacy Project grant.
Paul Connor from Litter Networks with the first Legacy Project grant
