AFTER seeing a spate of angry social media posts about the declining environment around Newtown, Powys, a group of local residents have taken steps to provide a solution, and welcome anyone who is willing to assist!

“Newtown Community Action” was the idea of local businessman Stu Trigg, of Dragon UAV Aerial photo & video.

“Newtown has always been active in terms of sharing and discussing incidents of litter, unemptied bins, and general degradation of the local area,” said Mr Trigg, “but myself and others could see that no matter how many social media posts were made, there seemed to be little in terms of remedy or action.

"Nobody was outraged enough to actually get out there and pick the litter up!

"I suggested a group of us go down to the skate park on Saturday (an area that had been identified as particularly bad for litter), and get it back to being a useful play area for the children and young adults that use it. This got a great local response and 16 people turned up on short notice. With equipment kindly supplied by Keep Wales Tidy, we picked up around 15 full large bags of litter.

"It also illustrated the need for better bins and protection from adults that were using it as a drinking stop, smashing glass and leaving cans that the kids had to clean up to use the park.

"Due to the fantastic response Newtown had to this, we started a Facebook group 'Newtown Community Action', as a counter to the ‘armchair activism’, and we now have more than 100 volunteers who are all willing to donate their own time to litter picks, ‘guerrilla gardening’, painting and any other task we as a group feel we can help with to benefit our town.

We are seeing amazing offers of help from local businesses, with Morrisons Supermarket already donating 10 litter grabbers and offering assistance with raising funds for more equipment. We will be seeking help from any local business that feel they can support this amazing local action and would appreciate contact about this!

"We are working with and talking to local schools, councillors, police and residents to look at ways to make lasting changes and improvements to the litter and other actionable needs in the town.

"Like many towns, Newtown is affected by financial cutbacks in respect of on-going maintenance, which has a noticeable effect on the town's visual impact over a long period of time.

"Newtown has recently secured £1.1 million towards a community land transfer opportunity, thanks to the efforts of the organisation Going Green for a Living Community Land Trust.

"With the efforts of a great number of people and organisations working towards a brighter future for the town in this imminent land transfer, the opening of a new bypass relieving a lifetime of town-choking traffic and the community working together, we can rightfully feel some real optimism and positivity about the future of Newtown !

"Our group demonstrates that action, not words will benefit a local area. People coming together and working to face problems and offer solutions can make a massive difference to any community, and I would encourage any town or village to form its own Community Action group towards this end.

"We would also ask anyone willing to actively participate to contact and join the group.

If you would like more information about this grojup, email NewtownComm.Action@gmail.com