Club Mill clean-up – Upper Don Trail Trust and local community tidy up inner city stretch of the River Don

The Upper Don Trail Trust (UDTT) has worked with an enthusiastic team of community volunteers and residents to clean up the stretch of trail alongside the River Don between Wardsend Cemetery and Neepsend.

The team of over 20, including several families, spent a Saturday morning tidying up the riverside path along the old Club Mill Road from Livesey Street bridge to Sandbed Road a bit further downriver.

They cleared litter, cut back overgrowing vegetation, and removed scrap metal and fly-tipped rubbish that was obstructing the path.

The team put up temporary signs along the public right of way after the event, to make it clear that it’s open for use and part of the emerging Upper Don Trail which will go to the source of the Little Don at Langsett.

The haul even included an old bed frame and office chair that had been dumped in the river, (since reported to the city council for collection).

The volunteers filled a large skip that was kindly donated by local company Arthurs Skips, who are based nearby on Parkwood Road.

UDTT members were joined by people from the local traveller community, plus volunteers from Loxley and Wisewood Litter Pickers, Friends of Wardsend Cemetery, and Friends of Parkwood Springs.

The clean-up, the third organised on this section, took place on Saturday, July 2nd. It coincided with a ranger-led conservation session at Wardsend Cemetery with Sheffield Conservation Volunteers.

UDTT chairman thanks everyone who turned out

Upper Don Trail Trust chairman Simon Ogden thanked everybody who took part.

“This was a tremendous community effort and a really good social occasion,” Simon said.

“It showed what people can do when they roll their sleeves up and come together to do something they care passionately about.

“We know there’s still a long way to go before this stretch of riverside is in the state we would all like, but this was a really important step along the way.

“Many new people discovered this part of the trial during the lockdown but others have been uncertain if it was actually a right of way due to its overgrown appearance.

“With determination and ambition we know that we can turn this sometimes forgotten bit of the River Don into something the whole city can enjoy and be proud of.”

We’ll be staging more events like this in the future to keep up momentum – watch this website and our social media accounts for details!

 

Photograph of the community clean-up team
The Club Mill Road community clean-up team enjoy a well-earned rest.

 

Photograph of skip filled with rubbish by the community clean-up team
Arthurs Skips donated a skip that was overflowing with rubbish after the community clean-up.

 

Photograph of sign to publicise the Upper Don Trail after the clean-up
The team put up signs to publicise the emerging Upper Don Trail after the clean-up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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