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Sept
Harrogate residents urged to clean streets in new volunteering initiative
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Harrogate residents are being encouraged to take part in activities such as litter picking and removing graffiti as part of a new volunteering initiative.
Harrogate Business Improvement District today (September 4) announced it was organising the first Harrogate Action Days.
The four action days, which take place from Wednesday 16 September to Saturday 19 September, will bring people together for four days of practical volunteering across the town.
Participants will work alongside Harrogate BID on projects to improve the town centre, such as litter picking and street sweeping, weeding and planting, refreshing planters, cleaning street furniture, removing graffiti, painting utility boxes, reporting maintenance issues and supporting small environmental improvement projects.
Harrogate BID is funded by local businesses to increase town centre footfall.
Chief executive Jason Maxwell said:
Harrogate Action Days are about bringing people together to take practical action and take pride in the town we all share. There are lots of ways to get involved, whether you can spare an hour or a full day, and we hope businesses, community groups and individuals will get behind the initiative.
There’s a real opportunity here to bring back a sense of civic pride and encourage people to take an active role in looking after the town they live and work in. We know that councils are facing significant financial pressures and difficult decisions around how resources are used, but Harrogate Action Days aren’t about taking away from or replacing the work that the council does. They’re about asking what we can do together, as businesses and as a community, to make a positive difference to the place we all share.
For the first action days, Harrogate BID has set an initial target of 80 hours of volunteering.
It said that if 20 people volunteer for four hours each, the town could benefit from 80 hours of practical action across the four-day initiative.
Businesses are being encouraged to take part as a corporate volunteering opportunity.
Volunteers do not need specialist DIY skills and training, tools and protective equipment will be provided where required.
Anyone wishing to take part can email info@harrogatebid.co.uk before Friday, September 11.
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