Some people might say that it isn’t our job to clean up OUR city centre, but if everyone takes that approach, nothing will ever change.
That’s why young people at YMCA North Staffordshire are taking action through the BIG Hanley Clean Up.
The project has been inspired by the voices of 3,000 young people from across Stoke-on-Trent who took part in our Youth Consultation and shared their thoughts on what they would like to see change within their communities.
From those conversations, 10 key recommendations were identified – including a clear call from young people for cleaner, greener and safer spaces.
Our Youth Governance team didn’t want those voices to simply sit within a report. They wanted to turn what young people told us into action.
The idea for the BIG Hanley Clean Up was developed by YMCA North Staffordshire’s Marketing & Communications Officer, Dan Boon, who wanted to find a practical way of responding to what young people had told us.
I love the city I grew up in, and I hate the way people talk about it. I could sit and moan about it, but that wouldn’t clean it up. I wanted to get out there and make a difference – and that is exactly what we are doing.
Working alongside Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, members of our Youth Governance team, staff and volunteers headed into Hanley to begin making a difference, armed with litter pickers, high-vis jackets and plenty of determination.
The first BIG Hanley Clean Up marks the beginning of an ongoing commitment to help improve our city centre and surrounding areas, while demonstrating the positive role that young people can play in shaping their communities.
For us, this is about much more than picking up litter. It is about showing young people that when they speak, their voices can lead to meaningful change.
This is only the beginning for the BIG Hanley Clean Up.
