Volunteers clean up at Sutton Parkway station

Litter picking volunteers from Ashfield District Council, Station adopters, and staff from local business, Van Elle came together to help clean up one of Ashfield’s busier train stations, Sutton Parkway on 31 October 2023.  

On the day, a total of 26 binbags of litter were collected, including a baby car seat and a duvet. The Council would like to remind users of the station that it is their responsibility to dispose of litter in a responsible manner.

Public transport is a vital service that many residents rely on for work, leisure, and to visit friends and family across Ashfield and beyond. With such varied and non-stop use, train stations can become a hot spot for littering, graffiti, and a natural build up of leaf litter each year.

Executive Lead for Parks and Environmental Services, Cllr Samantha Deakin:

“We are proud that we can call on such dedication from the community. It’s a shame that a small minority of people don’t share the same pride in the area they live and instead of holding onto to litter until they can put it in a bin, chose to discard it in public.”

“Without the selfless actions of our Ashfield Volunteers, many of our public and open spaces would remain in an unkept condition. I cannot thank the volunteers enough for the volunteering activities they do”

Jono Wright, Senior Engineering Manager for Van Elle attended the day and said:

“We strongly believe that community clean-ups are a helpful way to enlighten residents about recycling and various activities that can collectively reduce our carbon footprint.

“Following the hard work from our volunteers, it was great to see the transformation of the Sutton Parkway Rail station area, now appearing notably brighter and cleaner."