Volunteers continue to keep the Tame Valley tidy

A new local volunteer group has made significant progress in picking up litter in the Tame Valley for the second weekend running.

Over 90 bags of rubbish was cleared from Shepley Wood, Jet Amber Fields and the Upper Haughton & Whittles Meadows over the weekend by the Friends of Tame Valley. 

Volunteers of all ages – both individuals and families - did their bit, working in their bubbles to clear litter from the Valley.

The group's Chair Cllr Denise Ward encouraged Broomfield residents in Denton to go out in family bubbles to litterpick the valley.

Meanwhile, local MP Andrew Gwynne and his wife, Councillor Allison Gwynne, helped clear woodland around the valley too.

The group is looking forward to lockdown restrictions easing, which will permit group activity.

As well as litter picking, the Friends group will be looking to repair fences, stiles and signs; restore footpaths; improve natural habitats and tidy up the woodland areas, cutting back overgrowth, creating wildlife woodpiles and bug hotels, and installing bird and bat boxes.

Cllr Ward said: “We are still a very new group, so it was fantastic to see so many people of all ages getting involved this weekend. The 90 bags of rubbish that we collected will make a huge difference.

“Thanks to all of the volunteers who took part, but especially Chris and Alan who shifted 18 bags of rubbish from an area of Dunkirk Wood, and Dianne and her friend who cleared a very badly littered section of the valley near to the M67.

“We are all looking forward to restrictions easing, when we can really get stuck into some group activities to improve the Tame Valley.”

Andrew Gwynne MP added: "It's been fantastic. We've got 107 members now and have collected 170 bags after just three weeks.

"We don't want to stop there though, now we've broken the back of it, when we come out of lockdown we want to restore footpaths, put up new signs, repair fences and build bird and bat boxes."

Anyone who would like to get involved with the Friends of the Tame Valley should contact the group’s secretary Andrew Gwynne by emailing ajgwynne@sky.com.

Read more from the Tameside Reporter

Click here for more of the latest news

Click here to read the latest edition of the paper online

Click here to find out where you can pick up a copy of the paper