Good clean fun!

The spring cleans took place in the town's Townside, Chesham Fold, Springs, Fernhill and Topping Fold areas. The initiative was organised by Groundwork Bury in partnership with the local authority and the Council for Voluntary Service (CVS).

All the areas targeted are part of nine community spring cleans across the East Bury Initiative area. Groundwork Bury secured £1,600 funding for the events from the Community Development Fund and the activity was organised by the Environments for the Community Project as part of the SRB5 (Single Regeneration Budget) East Bury Initiative.

The spring cleans aim to involve the local tenants and residents within their own communities and also to become more actively involved with local residents associations.

At Topping Fold and Fairfield, the community was involved in a clean-up fun day. Staff from the Topping Fold Partnership, members of the local tenants and residents association and community wardens, along with staff from Groundwork Bury, were on hand to help make the area cleaner. Two large skips of rubbish were removed.

The event attracted seven adults and 29 children as well as local councillor Mike Connolly and included an afternoon of fun activities based at Topping Fold library. Other attractions involved a balloon modeller and face-painter.

Stephanie Devine, community development worker for the Topping Fold Partnership, said: "We were delighted to take part in this event. We already work with Groundwork in the area and the spring clean was another step in making Topping Fold the place to live."

Peter Brannon, chairman of Topping Fold & Fairfield Tenants and Residents Association, commented: "This is the way we should be working together. Here at Topping Fold we are working on a number of ideas which will include as many residents groups and other organisations as possible.

"The spring clean was an example of how we can work together to achieve our goals," he added.

Lucy Barton, Environment for the Community Project officer at Groundwork Bury, said: "This was a great opportunity to encourage more people to become more actively involved in the community within which they live and work."

The Townside clean-up fun day was held at Townfields Close and was organised with the help of Bury Council's tenants and community participation unit. The event included a children's litter collecting competition. The local authority also contributed by cleaning the lower end of Pyramid Park.

Alan Keown, Bury Council tenants and community participation officer, said: "The clean-up days that have taken place in the areas of the borough have been very successful at bringing the community together."

A similar event was held at Chesham Fold and was one of a number of activities organised by Chesham Fold Tenants and Residents Association.

Its chairman Frank Fenton said: "This area of Chesham Fold has been neglected over the past few years. We now hope to bring it back into use as a play area with the continued help from Groundwork Bury, Bury Council and the local community."

Further spring cleans are being organised for the areas of Parsonage, Deal and Pimhole, New Mosses, Pimhole and Parsonage Street.