Students clean up in the community

Twelve Public Services students have been making a difference in the community by taking part in the One Hour Tidy project.

As part of the Kinder Colleges initiative, students are encouraged to become more active within the community and be kinder to the planet. 

The students worked alongside Keighley Big Local’s Shaun O’Hare, a council community warden and a local environmentalist to collect litter from around the college and along Dalton Lane.

Set up by Keighley College tutor, Mark Hargreaves, in collaboration with the Keighley Big Local, the project is a contribution to the national programme, the Great British Spring Clean.

As a result of the project, the students collected 16 refuse bags of litter, an old tyre and a fire extinguisher.

Mark organised the project in a bid to raise awareness of environmental issues amongst students.

“As aspiring public servants, our students can learn a great amount from working with members of the community. Projects like these give our students vital real-life teamwork and communication experience, which will also help them to complete their qualifications. 

“Keighley College strives to be a positive force for change within the community, therefore we have a duty to the environment and showcasing the importance of this to students. The feedback from the students was fantastic – they all really enjoyed the activity and learnt valuable communication skills.”

The college is planning many upcoming community projects, including planning a walking route for the Worth Valley Walking Festival, which is designed to raise environmental, physical and mental health awareness in the area.

“We will also be involved in some tree planning with the Environment Agency as part of the biomimetic flood reduction initiatives in the Aire Valley.”

Take a look at the Public Services courses here.