Revitalising neighbourhoods through community clean-ups
We recently hosted two community events to improve the estates at Woodgrange Drive in Southend and Widford in Chelmsford. Volunteers joined forces to tidy up shared spaces, strengthen community spirit, and make a positive difference to the neighbourhoods.
The Big Woodgrange Spring Clean
On 2 April, we hosted The Big Spring Clean at the Woodgrange Drive Estate in Southend.
We teamed up with Southend customers and local councillors for a thorough spring clean of the estate to help make it a better place to live. We spent the morning litter-picking and planted sunflower seeds, which we’re excited to see in full bloom this summer.
It wasn’t all work and no play - we also hosted an estate-wide Easter Egg Hunt, with both children and adults searching for clues hidden throughout the grounds. As a reward, everyone involved enjoyed plenty of delicious chocolate treats.
A highlight of the day was a visit from Gemma’s Farm, where customers and children had the opportunity to interact with various farmyard animals.
A huge thank you to Gemma for bringing the farm experience to us. We also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners - Purdy, Axis, and Mitie. Not only did they join us on the day to help with the clean-up, but they also generously sponsored the Easter Egg Hunt, making sure that every child went home with a smile.
Widford Estate Action Day
On 23 April, we visited the Widford area of Chelmsford and had a fantastic day tidying the estate to make sure it’s clean and pleasant for everyone. We picked up litter, cleared pathways, mowed grass, and cut back bushes and overhanging trees, which residents had been finding difficult to manage.
We arranged a large skip so local residents could get rid of unwanted items, including old appliances, that they’d been unable to dispose of themselves. We also removed items that had been fly-tipped.
Ahead of the day, we surveyed local residents to understand how they felt about the area, the challenges they faced, and the improvements they wanted to see. This helped us plan our work and make sure we focused on what mattered most to the community.
We were delighted to be joined by Councillor Hazel Clark from Chelmsford, who also got stuck in. A big thank you to everyone involved, with a special shout-out to Green Recycling for supplying the skip free of charge for the benefit of the community.
