A COMMUNITY was spruced up this weekend thanks to hundreds of volunteers.

The annual Mold Spring Clean saw residents arm themselves with litter picks and rubbish bags to tidy up the town.

This year’s clean-up has been hailed as bigger than ever before with nearly 800 volunteers helping out.

Schoolchildren, scouts and community groups were among those who helped clear rubbish, along with Lesley Jones, chief executive of Keep Wales Tidy.

She said: “I am really impressed with Mold Spring Clean and the members of the community that have helped make this happen.”

The event attracted TV and radio crews with Springy, the Mold Spring Clean Mascot, appearing on Radio Cymru and on Newyddion, the Welsh language news programme on S4C.

Mold town manager Dave Hill praised the volunteers for helping make the tidy up a success.

He said: “I am over the moon about this year’s volunteers.

“Towards 90 per cent of the town will have been litter picked, planters refreshed, benches stained and painted and paths pressure washed.”

Members of Mold Camera Club also helped out with the tidy up and took photos throughout the weekend.

Chris Noble, secretary for the club, said: “Our main objective was to capture the event in photographs to be used by the organisers to show the great work done and used to promote other such events in the future.

“Accompanying Springy through the market is an experience I will never forget.”

Now the town has been cleaned up, Mold is preparing for a street party to coincide with the Royal Wedding on Friday, April 29.

Rides and stalls will be on offer on Mold High Street and the Daniel Owen Square.

Earlier this year the spring clean was awarded the Best Public Sector Initiative in the Tidy Towns awards.

The mayor of Mold, Cllr Chris Bithell, said: “Once again the people of Mold have shown why the town received this award.”

Mold Spring Clean was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Tidy Towns Initiative.

Judith Wright, the Keep Wales Tidy project officer for Flintshire, is interested in
helping other communities in Flintshire start similar projects. For information call 07717 495188 or email judith.wright@keepwalestidy.org