Volunteers spruce up Starbeck and the Pinewoods

Armies of volunteers have been out in force lately, doing their bit to improve the parts of Harrogate they care most about. 

Starbeck railway station has been given a makeover by a team of volunteers from Northern, Starbeck in Bloom, Friends of Starbeck Station and Halifax Station Partnership. They gave the underpass a new lick of paint and then spent time litter-picking and tidying up the platforms, underpass and surrounding areas.   

There are now plans for three murals to be installed at the station.      

Photo of volunteers at Starbeck railway station who spent a day tidying it up and painting the underpass.

Volunteers have given Starbeck railway station a “clean bill of health”.

Tony Baxter, regional director at Northern said:  

“I’d like to thank everyone who volunteered to spend the day at Starbeck – there has been an amazing transformation in just one day.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, litter-pickers are hoping to make the effects of their work last longer by putting up new ‘Volunteers Have Tidied Here’ signs. 

A pilot study by Keep Britain Tidy has found that such signs, telling the public about volunteers’ clean-up efforts, can help reduce littering by more than 40%. 

The signs, designed specifically for the Pinewoods Conservation Group, have been paid for by Walker Foster Solicitors. 

Neil Hind, chair of the Pinewoods Conservation Group, said: 

“We are very grateful to Walker Foster Solicitors for their funding to help make this happen and to our many volunteers who litter-pick as part of our organised events and also in their own time.

“We hope that these signs act as a reminder that somebody is giving up their time to pick up litter that should have been disposed of properly.” 

The Pinewoods Conservation Group plans to hold various work sessions over the summer that will be advertised on its website and on social media. 

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