Holyland gets clean up makeover

Volunteers from the University of Ulster, Queen’s University and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive took to the streets of the Holyland today in a bid to make south Belfast a cleaner place to live.

Local residents, landlords, City Church staff, the Need to Know Project Team and the Mornington Community Centre lent a helping hand as part of the big sweep.

Belfast City Council also give their support by providing litter pickers, gloves and shovels for the volunteers.

Peter Roebuck, Provost for Community Relations at University of Ulster, said: “This is a practical way of demonstrating that we are working for the good of all who live in the Holyland. I hope we can organise further such initiatives for the future.”

Colette Blair, Need to Know (N2K) Project Manager added: “Lots of agencies are trying very hard to make this a better place to live. ‘Operation Clean Sweep’ shows that these people aren’t frightened of getting their hands dirty and want to make a direct impact on cleaning up the Holyland.”

On Saturday, the ‘Larger Item Amnesty’ event will also take place in which a bin lorry will be available at selected points throughout the day for residents to dispose of larger household items.

The collection points are Fitzroy Avenue (between 10 and 11am) – University Avenue (between 11am and 12 noon) – Rugby Avenue (between 12 noon and 1pm) and Agincourt Avenue (between 1pm – 2pm).

Both events are being co-ordinated by the N2K Project, a community safety and development model funded by the European Union’s Peace II initiative.

(MB)