Following up on our You said, We did work in St Annes

We are happy to talk rubbish with you – and get it all cleared away, as part of our You said, We did commitment.

Tenants told us that since we created a bin store area in Derwent Road, St Annes, the area has looked much better: “I was horrified to see the mess, as the plastic bags of rubbish were always ripped by seagulls and it attracted rats. But since we have the new bins, I have not seen any problems.”

We continue to monitor the area and after tenants mentioned they needed help getting rid of bulky items, we organised a follow up community clean up day in the area, covering Derwent Road, Clover Avenue, Queensway Court, and Kilnhouse Lane.

Read about our previous work in Derwent Road here: How Progress Housing Group made environmental improvements in St Annes | Progress Housing Group (progressgroup.org.uk)

One resident told us: “It has been frustrating to see people throw their rubbish out again. It is a shame as the caretakers have to come out to clear it all away. I wish people would use the bins provided.”

Another tenant, who did not wish to be named, added: “I think these community clean up days are quite useful as people struggle to get to the tip to get rid of their stuff.

“It has been good to talk to Progress Housing Group staff about any issues we may be having and hopefully they can help. Progress does give me enough support when I bring things up.”

Some previous volunteer tenants also joined us for lunch and enjoyed telling us why they enjoyed their time helping out.

Brian said: “My wife and I wanted to put something back into the community and I also wanted to know what was going on in the area I lived. It filled the days for us as we are retired.

“We have stopped going to meetings now because of covid, but we would always get tea and biscuits and sometimes lunch. You really get to know people and we have done a few things: gardening and inspecting voids and repairs.

“I think these clean up days are a good idea, as it saves people dumping their rubbish. It is good to see progress Housing Group being pro-active.”

Simon Evans, Area Housing Manager for Fylde West, said: “This area has always been a bit of a hotspot for refuse and so we talked to tenants about installing the recycling centres and wheelie bins. Tenants then told us they had a lot of bulky waste so we did this community clean up day as part of our You said, We did work.”

Community clean-up days are based on tenant feedback, as part of our You said, We did work, and provide an opportunity to help make their areas better places to live. The events also offer colleagues and tenants a chance to meet and feel a part of the community.

Anybody can volunteer at these events, from tenants, community members and community workers to our own colleagues.

Tenants are sent leaflets through the door, encouraging them to bring out any rubbish they have that perhaps they cannot get to a skip or the tip themselves to dispose of. They are also invited to join us for lunch and chat with us about any issues they may have. Involved tenants are also welcome to help out.

To get involved in our future community clean-up days or to let us know if you would like us to clean up your area, please call us on 0333 320 4555 or email enquiries@progressgroup.org.uk.