Penwortham Cemetary Clean Up

Community comes out for Penwortham cemetery clean up event

It has become an annual tradition for children from St Teresa’s Primary and members of Penwortham’s Community Business Network to don their wellies and gloves to tidy up the town’s cemetery once the autumn leaves start to fall

This year saw nine members of the school council pulling out weeds, clearing up leaves and picking up litter as part of a much-loved community project. The children learn about the importance of looking after their community and looking after the environment says Jemma Lloyd of Vincents Solicitors, one of the organisers.

“It’s one of my favourite days of the year and the children absolutely love it. They really enjoy being given the responsibility of tidying up and making things better. We talk to them about how important it is to respect the cemetery, and we all get the benefit of being outdoors and doing something positive for others,” said Jemma, who co-founded the town’s Community Business Network three years ago with estate agent Michael Bailey.

Alongside the children were members of the business network, including company owners, managers, and charity representatives who come together to share ideas and support the community with projects like this.

For estate agent Michael Bailey, the cemetery clean-up is a welcome opportunity to get out and do his bit for the community. He said: “Fresh air and a sense of achievement, what could be better for us and the pupils? It’s a great way to spend a morning and we’re all very proud of the work the children put in.”

The Community Business Network meets regularly at Galloways or Hickorys to meet like-minded people and plan community activities for the group to get involved with. Previous projects have included a litter pick in early summer, support for the town’s Christmas markets, and fundraisers Galloways Sight Loss charity.

Inviting the school children along means the benefits are felt well beyond what is achieved on the day. Mrs Moffat, school council lead at St Teresa’s, said: “We instil a sense of community and belonging with the pupils, and events like this allow them to put that ethos into practice. This particular project teaches them respect for their surroundings, practical gardening skills, and gets them outside doing something fun.

“We’re really grateful to the Community Business Network and the Town Council for organising this event, it’s something the new school council members really look forward to taking part in and we hope it will continue for many years to come.”

Any member of the community is welcome to join in with the summer litter pick or the autumn cemetery clean up, and schools, community groups or businesses wanting to get involved should contact Jemma Lloyd or Michael Bailey.

The CBN meets regularly at Galloways Society for the Blind HQ in Howick Park Avenue. For information about how to get involved contact JemmaLloyd@vslaw.co.uk or michael.bailey@kwuk.com

ENDS

Pictured: [Credit Martin Bostock, copyright Vincents Solicitors]

1. The cemetery clean up organised by Penwortham’s Community Business Network included children and staff from St Teresa’s Primary School (pictured) Emma Evans funeral director, Michael Bailey estate agent, Jemma Lloyd from Vincents Solicitors, Kelly Love from Galloways.

2. A gallery of images from the day.