February 15, 2011 3.01 pm This story is over 156 months old

Dozens show up to clean Sincil Dyke

Clean-up: Almost 50 people turned up to clean the Sincil Dyke, filling two truck loads of refuse from the area.

Almost 50 residents from the Sincil area of Lincoln took part in a voluntary cleanup operation of the Sincil Dyke on Saturday, February 12.

The three-hour cleanup saw 46 people dredging the watercourse of dumped items, litter picking on the banks and digging and preparing a strip of land for planting.

Lincoln Canoe Club provided support with their canoes down the bank, helping to pick the larger items out of the dyke, while the volunteers cleared the dry areas.

Barbara Gooding (60) lives around Sincil Bank and said she took part in the Sincil Dyke Anglian Water Rivercare clean-up because of the amount of rubbish in the area.

“I had a great few hours; not only doing something worthwhile but it was lovely to meet old friends and hopefully make new ones.

“I took part because as a resident of the area for 35 years I have been disgusted at the amount of rubbish that finds its way into the Dyke,” Gooding added.

Graham Kent from Cross Street also said he enjoyed getting into the mud & rubbish: “it was just like being back in the army again!”

The volunteers collected rubbish for around three hours. Photo: Lincoln City FC

Among the rubbish, volunteers collected three bikes, a pushchair, numerous cones, a hoover, a trolley, car parts including a battery, tyre and exhaust.

The volunteers managed to fill two Cory Environmental trucks with bags of litter from the pavements and grassed banks of Sincil Dyke.

Members of Lincoln Canoe Club helped dredge the Dyke of traffic cones, shopping trolleys and 4 child buggies and other large items.

A strip of land alongside the dyke was cleared of undergrowth in readiness for pupils from St Peter at Gowt’s school to develop a vegetable patch.

Rosemary Robinson, a Sincil Area Community Development Worker, established the working group to clean up the dyke at the end of last year.

“It was great to see so many people taking part on Saturday, and we’ve had so much great support from local residents, businesses and organisations.

“We now hope that people respect the area and try not to litter the bank like before. We will definitely be organising another clean-up day.”

The volunteers received a treat for their work on Saturday too. The Lincoln City Football Club allowed the group to meet in the Trust Suite at the Football Club.

Domino’s Lincoln also provided pizzas at the end of the clean up, and Walkers Crisps donated packets of crisps for the volunteers.

Photos: Sincil Bank Area Community Group, Lincoln City FC | Related Report: Red Imp