IF you’ve noticed Oxford looking more well kept this week, thank this team of hard-working volunteers.

Hundreds turned out for the annual OxClean event over the weekend.

Community groups and volunteers picked up litter from streets in their area.

Organiser Rosanne Bostock said: “We were in Blackbird Leys and we must have picked up 60 bags of litter.

“The weekend went very well. We had 96 groups out and probably more, plus the 36 schools that took part.

“I am torn between being pleased that it was such a success and upset that there is still quite a lot to be collected.”

thisisoxfordshire:

  • Volunteers Sarah Howes and Ros Weatherall in Dunnock Way, Blackbird Leys

Litter picks were also held in Cutteslowe, Jericho, Rose Hill and Headington.

Sarah Howes, 54, of Headington, took part in a litter pick in Dunnock Way in Greater Leys.

She said: “I am a rambler and I go out and about a lot and I absolutely hate litter. It is awful.

“We found quite a lot of litter and some of it was stuck in these bushes. It was quite hard work.

“We found a child’s toy chair and bike which had been abandoned but mainly it was sweet wrappers, cans and bottles.”

The event, organised by Oxford Civic Society and sponsored by our sister paper The Oxford Times, collected six tonnes of rubbish.

John Tanner, the executive board member for Cleaner, Greener Oxford on Oxford City Council, thanked the volunteers.

He said: “I especially want to thank Oxford Civic Society who again organised the OxClean campaign.

thisisoxfordshire:

  • North Oxford Rotary took part in OxClean in Cutteslowe and also by the BP station near Wolvercote roundabout

“The society encourages us to take a proper pride in our city.

“I also want to praise the tens of thousands of people who regularly take their litter home or put it a bin.

“The city council spends about £3m a year so that our hard-working staff can sweep the streets and empty litter bins.

“Our beautiful city deserves to be kept clean for the benefit of tourists, students and residents alike.”

By numbers

4,000 The number of bags filled up with rubbish 

96 Hard-working groups  took part in the event

400 Litter grabbers and hi-vis vests made available to clean up teams by Oxford Civic Society

Six tonnes of waste was collected over the weekend