Meet the litter pickers doing their best to create community spirit in village
Volunteers in a border village are finding that generating community spirit is a bit of an uphill battle.
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Crew Green, in Powys is a village in two parts, an uphill and a downhill and is just across the Shropshire border but within easy commuting distance of Shrewsbury.
"The litter picking idea was one of the first we had to try to bring people together," said Corinne Woolley, the secretary of Crew Green Community Crew. "Saturday's litter pick was our fifth one."
But Mrs Woolley said the turnout is often dependant on the weather and people may have been put off by Storm Kathleen.
The community crew has has found Powys County Council receptive to the litter picking idea and have readily supplied the equipment.
"Even if nobody else turned up I think it would still be a good idea to litter pick to improve the village," said Mrs Woolley.
The group is just over one year old having first met in March 2023. They have since held a quiz night and a bingo night which were well attended and have a core membership of nine.
"We hope to run a community picnic in June and coffee mornings," she added.
"Some people think that community events are a bit naff and don't come but we will keep going," she said. "At least we can say we have given it a shot.
"I hope that if we keep things going we will be able to get the ball rolling. We are not giving up hope yet but there is only so much that we can do.
"But if people don't want to do it there is no point."
The community crew holds its events at the village's tiny Ysgol Brynhafren, a school which is itself under the threat of closure. Mrs Woolley thinks this has something to do with people who find it easier to take their children to school in Shrewsbury, where they work.
"Building a community spirit probably takes a long time," said Mrs Woolley. "It is a really difficult thing to do."
But the community crew won't be giving up on their aims for the moment and Mrs Woolley invited residents to join in.
There's a Facebook page, called Crew Green Community Crew, where events are posted. There is also a newsletter that goes out roughly once a month updating people on progress and ideas.
There is also an email address at crewgreencommunitycrew@gmail.com to make contact about the crew's activities.
