29 July 2010
Community Clean Up
A bucket of cement, drain pipe, fire extinguisher, traffic cones and a bike were some of the items recovered from the river at St Ivs on Saturday 24 July. These items were found as part of a river clean up exercise organised by the Friends of Holt Island.
The funding for the clean up was provided by The Cambridgeshire Waste Partnership and Cambridge Community Foundation, with the support of Huntingdonshire District Council. A team of volunteers including Paul Claydon, a ranger from Huntingdonshire District Council worked hard to pull rubbish from the river. Roy Allen, a member of the Friends Of Holt Island said “There are now significantly less scaffolding poles in the river that could cause damage to boats. I am pleased that there was less rubbish than before so hopefully word is getting around that all rubbish should be disposed of in bins or taken to the correct waste management site.”
Huntingdonshire District Council loaned their use of their work boat ‘Reed Rustler’ and St Ives Sub-Aqua Club cleared underneath St Ives Town Bridge. In total 14 bags of rubbish were collected.
Councillor Colin Hyams, executive councillor for operations and countryside services said “Events such as this which are lead by local residents help to create a sense of ownership and pride in our area. Clearing this amount of rubbish has not only improved the environment for us but has also made the river safer for wildlife. I am delighted that this community event has been so worthwhile.”