A GROUP dedicated to tidying up Newport East is being launched by a member of the public this weekend.
HR worker Ben Antoniou, who recently created a petition demanding a Newport litter strategy from the city council which gathered hundreds of signatures, has founded a new litter picking group.
Mr Antoniou said: “I noticed a few different groups has sprung up in Newport, but they seemed very focused on the West side of the city.
“So, I decided to set up a group in Newport East, which will enable people with similar interest – people who care about the community – to meet and connect.
“Littering is a serious problem and we hope to make an impact.”
Their first litter pick will be this Saturday (June 22), with it planned to become a monthly event on the third Saturday of the month focusing on different areas of Newport East.
Quarters Coffee, on Millennium Walk, have sponsored the new group and will be promoting them as well as offering free coffee and cake to volunteers after each litter pick.
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Volunteers will meet at 10.30am at the entrance to Lliswerry Pond, on Aberthaw Road, with the hour-long clean-up focusing on this area and the park near the pond, which Mr Antoniou described as a ‘great green space spoiled by littering.’
Although a fairly new development, MP Jessica Morden and AM John Griffiths have shown support for the group, stating that littering and fly-tipping is a ‘serious issue’ and offering to get involved with future litter picks.
Mr Antoniou has also tried to get Newport East councillors on board but was told: “We are tied up for the foreseeable weekends as we are currently busy in all parts of our Ward.”
“Spending millions to clean-up litter and fly tipping is pointless with no strategy in place,” added Mr Antoniou.
“It’s not a solution and it certainly isn’t sustainable. We need to change people’s behaviour to avoid littering in the first place.
“It’s a real pity that we’ve formed this new group to make the ward a better place to live and work, yet it’s so hard to get councillors involved.
“Hopefully they’ll get involved in the future.”
To find out more, or register your interest, e-mail cleangreennewport@gmail.com
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