Resident Action Keeps Park Clean

Local residents have collected almost 250 sacks of rubbish from Nuns Moor Park in the last year.

While most has been wrappers, food trays, cans, bottles and boxes, some has not been so easy to deal with. Dog dirt (“loads” says community organiser Katrina Jordison) is a particularly unwelcome regular find on Monday mornings.

Volunteer helpers have also come across a dead cat, a metal cabinet, doors, a fire extinguisher and even a parachute caught in trees.

Statistics from the weekly hour-long litter pick sessions, show that 61 local residents contributed to cleaning up the park in the year up to June this year, averaging 9 hours of volunteer time each.

In total, they collected three sacks of glass recycling, 44 sacks of other recyclable materials (mainly plastic bottles and drinks cans) and 198 sacks of general rubbish.

Volunteers meet at the park’s Bike Garden each Monday 10am (except on bank holidays). New helpers are always welcome. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. All necessary equipment is provided and sessions are rounded off with refreshments and snacks.

The litter picks are organised by Arthur’s Hill residents Jill Dales and Alison Pride (pictured above). With the support of Greening Wingrove, the pair have also helped set up a Friends of Nuns Moor Park group, which aims to involve local people in maintaining and improving the park, in the face of recent cutbacks to funding for running the city’s green spaces.

A new ‘parks trust’ is currently being created by Newcastle council, which it is hoped can take over management of most city parks and allotments in spring. Draft ‘governance’ documents have been published setting out a proposed model for how the trust will work and how community voices will be represented.

You can find out more about Friends of Nuns Moor Park on its Facebook group page.