Lithuanian church gives back to Peterborough

The volunteer group spent two hours working along the streets and other public areas cleaning up discarded litter.

The 20-member team quickly got to work collecting 25 full bags on their route along Lincoln Road.

Their mission message said it all: “Our city will be clean!”.

The volunteers worked with the city council to organise the big clean-up and they were provided with equipment to help with the effort.

Meeting as a group on a Saturday morning, the dedicated teams were made up of members of the Peterborough Lithuanian Community group, young and old.

There was praise for the group and its objective from other locals as they got down to the task.

In Lithuania, according to residents, litter-picking is a regular task taught in schools to encourage children to appreciate the environment around them.

Ruta Dalton, chairman of the Peterborough Lithuanian Community, explains: “For me this initiative has two goals. Firstly, we want to lead by example for our children, and teach them the importance of protecting the environment.

“Secondly, our Lithuanian community is settled here in Peterborough for the last 15 years, and we want to give back something to the city we live in and love.

“We noticed that although Lincoln Road itself is relatively clean as the council cleans it every day, some front gardens, the little park, and especially a side street by the Pound Store Plus shop, were heavily littered.”

Justas Dromantas, the Pastor of Peterborough Lithuanian Christian Church said: “I used to see rubbish everywhere and get upset with other people who litter our streets.

“Only recently I realised that this is our city and it is our responsibility.

“If I do not like the environment I live in, I need to change it.

“We hope we will inspire not only our, but also other nations. I invite everyone to take responsibility for the surroundings we live in”.

Community member Roberta Dromante said: “It would be great to have more rubbish bins on Lincoln Road for people, which would help to decrease overall littering”.

Renata Seputiene addedsaid: “We found hundreds of cans and bottles in the side street by store.

“The government, or the council, could create a system where every time we buy a can or a bottle of drink, we pay a small deposit, which we can recover once returned to a special collection station.

“This system was introduced several years ago in Lithuania and it works well.

“People appreciate such an initiative as they know it protects the environment”.

The community is contiunuing to plan ways to improve the area, including more frequent litter picks with younger members, to tackle more eyesores across other streets in Millfield.