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Students from The University of Nottingham are set to join local residents and businesses during a day of action designed to improve the appearance of Lenton Boulevard.
Taking place on Wednesday 10 October, teams will remove rubbish, tidy gardens, number dustbins and knock on doors to reinforce waste management and crime prevention messages.
An information trailer will also be stationed outside Sainsbury’s providing further advice on waste management, recycling and community protection. Advice will also be provided on living a healthy lifestyle to mark the fact the event coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week.
A changing community
Ahead of the day, Melanie Futer — Off Campus Student Affairs Manager at the University — explained that the volunteers will be working along Lenton Boulevard from the junction of Derby Road to the round-a-about near Abbey Bridge from 10am-5pm.
She said: “Over the past few decades, Lenton Boulevard has changed from a smart successful shopping and residential area to one which has few shops, and houses a mainly transient population.
“The road is a popular thoroughfare for traffic, therefore issues such as bins on pavements, untidy front gardens and closed shop frontages present a significantly negative impression of Lenton to those passing through.”
Student contribution vital
But with the students help, Melanie is adamant that this impression can be improved. She continued: “Students are very much a part of the community residing and using the facilities of Lenton Boulevard. It is their community and as such they should and do take a pride in the area. Students being part of this initiative will help ensure that the area becomes more vibrant.”
Councillor Sarah Piper added: “I'm delighted that students and local residents are getting together to help improve the neighbourhood. I hope we will be able to build on the success of this partnership to work towards long-term improvements in Lenton.”
If you would like any further information on how to become involved with the action day, please contact the Neighbourhood Development Officer Iffat Iqbal on 0115 9150093 or meet the team outside Sainsbury’s from 10am on the day.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia; according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2012, ‘Of all the British universities, Nottingham has embraced internationalism the most.’ It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK by application numbers, and ‘the world’s greenest university’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fundraising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…