‘Keep Luton Tidy’ campaign is calling on more people to get involved - with volunteers collecting 10k bags of waste

A campaign to help keep Luton clean is calling on more people to get involved.

#KeepLutonTidy was launched by Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) in partnership with Love Luton – and is now a thriving movement.

ABCD co-founder Kevin Poulton said: “Coming out of the pandemic we were eager to get back out there and with a couple of other friends, decided to remove the piles of waste on the slip road up to Capability Green. We were fortunate enough to have a little bit of equipment donated to us in the May of 2021, and were able to facilitate them doing a litter pick across a park.”

A partnership with Love Luton was formed – meaning they could take on more transformation projects including the Great British Spring Clean, when 37 cleanup events took place over 15 days.

Kevin added: “This was the catalyst for the formation of over 20 groups spread across every ward of the town – some maybe just a few people strong whilst others have seen 30 plus people, all taking care of an area they are concerned about. Last year we worked alongside over 1,700 volunteers ranging in age from two to 92 and to date have helped remove close to the equivalent of 10,000 bags of waste.”

And he is encouraging everyone to get involved to look after the town.

He said: “We often hear "we pay our council tax for that" which is why one of our key aims is to transform the relationship with public services from one expecting to be provided for, to one working in partnership with. We couldn't do it without the support of Luton Council, they are aware of where the groups are operating and pick up whatever is collected.

“We will be encouraging, businesses, faith groups and the voluntary sector to join in, but most importantly residents to join each other and pledge to look after wherever they care about. This is where the real magic happens that goes far beyond just keeping the town tidy.”

A spokesperson for Luton Borough Council said: “Sadly, due to the inconsiderate behaviour of the few, resources are being drawn away from the most vulnerable and invested in street services. In recent years the council has invested in a neighbourhood enforcement team an investigations unit and a team that specifically investigates fly tipping to trace it back to the offenders. Since 2019 we have taken over 1,200 enforcement actions.

“We strongly believe that the responsibility lies with all of us to treat our town and its residents with respect and we agree that it is a long lasting change of attitude from everyone who lives here that will have the most powerful impact on the streets of Luton. We are grateful that there are some amazing groups of residents who give up their time to actively remove unsightly litter for the benefit of all of us. We would encourage all residents to report fly tipping so together we can deal with this blight on our town.”

To find out more about the #KeepLutonTidy movement, visit the ABCD In Luton Website or visit the Instagram, Twitter or Facebook pages.