Partners join forces to make Salford cleaner and greener

Over 150 people attended the conference on Friday 13 June to agree to actions to improve the local environment.

Businesses, community groups, housing providers and disability groups came together with Salford City Council, the University of Salford, the NHS, RHS, National Trust, City of Trees, the police, fire service and others, to generate new ideas and partnerships and find new ways to make Salford cleaner and greener.

Better environmental quality is a priority for Salford City Council and the City Mayor, but it’s not something the council can do on its own. To make a real difference, collective action and leadership is needed - everyone has a part to play.

The conference featured speakers who talked about good practice and the need for a citywide approach, a panel of professionals who answered questions about their work, group activities to look at challenges facing the city, and concluded by asking people to make a pledge on behalf of their organisation or as an individual. These pledges and feedback from the activities will now form part of an action plan for the city to work towards over the next few years.

Pledges included:

• “Working with more social landlords, sports clubs and private land owners to develop tree planting opportunities.”
• “To link students with volunteering opportunities around Salford to make it cleaner and greener.”
• “To continue to develop our green spaces for our local community to come together.”
• “To help and educate my community groups to understand recycling and take action to keep Salford cleaner and greener.”
• “To continue to improve the environment appearance and community involvement in Parr Fold Park.”
• “To help businesses understand their role in the community and how they can make a positive impact on the local environment.”
• “Committing to regular litter picks in the local area.”

Councillor Barbara Bentham, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety said: “I was delighted to see so many different organisations represented at the conference, all wanting to contribute and make a difference. There’s nothing more powerful than collective action, working together with heart and purpose. We need everyone on board, and I’m looking forward to taking the ideas from the conference forward so that we can make Salford the best place to live, work and learn.”