A stretch of the Heartlands Canal Ring in Birmingham has been cleaned up, thanks to a successful partnership project

During the winter months Family Housing teamed up with The Waterways Trust {www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk} and local volunteers, including staff and tenants, to spend time removing rubbish from within and around the canal in Bordesley.  This was the first stage of a project to make the canal side a clean, green and inviting area for walkers and residents to enjoy.

As well as removing three tipper van loads of waste, the workers cut the grass and hedges along the bank and spotted graffiti to be removed.  The next stage of the scheme will include landscaping, planting flowers, installing benches and sculptures and hanging up bird feeders.

This work took place as part of The Waterways Trust’s Heartlands Linear Park Project to work with communities in Birmingham to create a richer wildlife corridor to encourage wildlife to return and allow local people to enjoy a green linear park in the heart of the city.

Samuel Edmead, 26, is a Family Housing resident who lives in a home that backs onto the canal, and he took part in the clean-up day.  He said: “From my window I can see the canal and I watch the ducks and wildlife go past my home.  I have really enjoyed the private space that Family has already created for us on our side of the canal and I wanted to give something back so that others can also take pleasure from the space.  It’s really good to see Family Housing and the community come together to make a more attractive and enjoyable place.”

Claire Tumelty, services estates manager at Family Housing, helped to organise the day.  She said: “It’s fantastic when we can work in partnership to make things better for local people.  British Waterways is conducting an excellent programme, and we realised that we could work with them to enhance it even further for the areas where the canal goes past our residents’ homes.”