20,000 join up to tidy up towns.

Byline: SARA THOMAS

A pounds 12 MILLION drive by the Welsh Assembly Government to get people to clean up and improve their local environment has attracted close to 20,000 volunteers from across Wales in its first year.

The Tidy Towns scheme provides funding to Keep Wales Tidy and all 22 Welsh local authorities to work in partnership for three years to tackle local environmental issues.

In the past year, volunteers have worked with 579 community groups on more than 4,500 improvement projects across the country.

These vary from litter picking, graffiti and fly tipping removal to creating new wildlife habitat areas, community gardens or arts projects to bring back areas of neglect into community use.

Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant said: "I am delighted that many local groups including Saltney Ferry Residents' Association and Connah's Quay High School Voluntary Development Group have already taken the initiative and are making the most of this funding opportunity.

"The intention was always that the Tidy Towns project would be community-led.

"We all have a duty to help contribute towards the creation of a cleaner, safer and tidier Wales. I hope that this investment will continue to be a catalyst for change, and that more and more communities will seize this opportunity."