Walker commends Killyleagh volunteers who lifted a ton of litter in five months
A local community group has collected 1,000 kilos or one metric ton of rubbish from the streets of their town in just five months.
Killyleagh Community Association, a volunteer-led group in the district town of 4,000 people set up the Killyleagh Clean Team in late August 2021 and since then has organised a weekly litter pick with village residents.
Up to 20 people litter pick around the village, shore and country roads each Sunday.
Volunteers have now reached a major milestone in their efforts to rid the streets of litter, having collected a ton of discarded rubbish, including drinks cans, take away containers, plastic bags and confectionery wrappers, as well as marine litter collected at low tide.
Anyone interested in helping the Killyleagh Clean Team can contact the group on their Facebook page @killyleaghcleanteam
Cllr Billy Walker has commended the Killyleagh Clean Team for their efforts saying: “It is phenomenal the rubbish this group of volunteers have collected in a couple of months, and I would like to pay tribute to them for making a huge difference to their town.
“As a public representative and a resident of Killyleagh, I have seen the change in the town with their regular cleaning and removal of rubbish.
“The only other town that is doing this is Saintfield through the Saintfield Development Association and they too are doing a tremendous job.
“The Killyleagh Clean Team are dedicated to their community and I can see first hand when I walk round the town that visitors and tourisms will not be disappointed when they come to Kilyleagh by streets full of rubbish.
“When I go out for a walk on a Sunday I can see the full bin liners lying at the council bins waiting for collection. Our council staff have been hit by Covid and absences have also impacted on areas such as street cleansing. So I very much appreciate their efforts and great community spirit.”
Cllr Walker added: “I intend to nominate the Killyleagh Clean Team for an award later this year. They are making a huge difference to our community and deserve full recognition.”
