Twenty-five volunteers from five different local organisations came together to clean up a neglected path area in Ferguslie Park. The action was motivated by...

Twenty-five volunteers from five different local organisations came together to clean up a neglected path area in Ferguslie Park.

The action was motivated by concerns raised by members of the public at the recent community council meeting held at the end of November in relation to the health and safety of those accessing Glencoats Park.

The park, referred to locally as the ‘Privies’ had been identified as an area which has proved difficult for the usual cleaning appliances used by the council to access and because of this there didn’t appear to be any maintenance program in place for this much-loved historically important area.

A gradual build-up of fallen leaves, which had gone unattended for quite some time, had become a slipping hazard, leaving many elderly residents concerned they might be injured.

Volunteers from Project Hope, Mirren Park School, Environmental Training Team and St Ninian’s Church combined efforts to address the situation with assistance from the Renfrewshire Council #TeamUptoCleanUp campaign.

The Environmental Training Team litter picked the area as part of their instrumental role in the community councils ‘Keep Ferguslie Park Tidy’ campaign which was ongoing throughout the summer.

During this exercise it had been identified there were areas in which fly tipping had occurred. The day before Mirren Park School pupils, in preparation for the main event, ensured all large items such as sofa’s, microwave’s, burnt wheelie bins etc were gathered and centralised to allow Renfrewshire Council to remove and dispose of.

On the day of the main event, over 25 volunteers from all corners of the community grouped to ensure the path was cleared and made safe as well as the remaining litter and hidden items being removed. Afterwards tea, coffee, Christmas cup cakes and mince pies were served whilst Rev. Stuart Davidson led a Christmas carol session in St Ninian’s Church.

Everyone appeared to really enjoy making a significant contribution to their local environment with many volunteers telling stories of how they played there when they were younger. Others spoke of the potential of the area and how it is everyone’s responsibility to look after the whole community of which the ‘Privies’ is an important part.

John McIntyre, Chairperson, Ferguslie Community Council, said: “I’m delighted to see so many from the community participating today, especially the children. The myths that exist about folks from the area not caring are well and truly dispelled today.

“The area is looking the best it has for many years but of course the next stage is to ensure it is included in a regular maintenance program by the Council. We will raise this at our next Environmental Sub Group meeting in the new year. A big thanks to Renfrewshire Council for their support by way of the equipment.”

Kenny MacLaren, councillor for Paisley North West, said: “It’s great to see so many individuals and groups getting involved in the council’s new Team Up to Clean Up campaign.

“The whole idea of this campaign is to involve as many local residents and groups as possible, allow them to take ownership of their local area and hopefully this will discourage others from dropping litter and fly tipping in such areas.

“It was good to see that ETT were there to provide their expertise. This organisation has a great reputation for working with the council, helping to clean up communities all across Renfrewshire.”

Kevin Muirhead, a teacher at Mirren Park School, said: “Mirren Park School places itself very much at the heart of Ferguslie Park and it is our wish to offer help and assistance as much as possible. When we saw the Community Council were organising a #TeamUptoCleanUp it was something we saw as mutually beneficial to both our pupils and the community’.”

Terry McTernan, Project Coordinator, Project Hope, said: “This was our first project since our renewed vision to focus our efforts solely on Ferguslie Park and its regeneration, we felt in the build up to Christmas the beautiful area which is the Privies deserved a festive facelift too.”

Ian Williams ,CEO, Environemental Training Team, said: “It was great to see so many out to lend a hand and build on the important work our volunteers have been doing all summer. All credit to the kids who braved the cold to help lift the spirits of the area and the people who use it.”

Rev. Stuart Davidson, the Paisley North Community Minister, said: “‘Since I arrived in the area I’ve always been uplifted by the level of pride locals have in their community. It was great to see folks come together for the benefit of the wider area, oh and carol singing is always good at this time of year.”

The clean-up event took place on Saturday 16th December 2017. Photos by David Cameron. To view more of these photos and his other sets, please visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/its-all-pretty-cool_dot-com/sets.

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