Greater Manchester residents are being urged to take part in huge UK-wide ‘spring clean’ that’s happening this month.
We all know that a new season brings with it a chance for a reset, and the term ‘spring clean’ is a pretty popular one that hasn’t come from nowhere – but now, residents across the region are being encouraged to “roll up their sleeves” and join in with the annual UK-wide ‘Great British Spring Clean’ that’s taking place from next week.
Only, the difference is, this is actually a big ‘spring clean’ of our local communities instead, rather than a call to clean up your own property.
Run by Keep Britain Tidy, and having been happening all across the country – including here in Greater Manchester – for several years now, the volunteer organisation has just kick-started its annual campaign, The Great British Spring Clean, for 2024 and is calling on locals to get stuck-in by helping to tidy up local parks, pathways, and other green spaces.
Since 2018, the annual community clean-up has been supported by Manchester City Council in partnership with Keep Manchester Tidy (KMT) following a turnout of countless volunteers – who have proudly become known as as ‘litter heroes’.
The ‘litter heroes’ across the UK have pledged to “banish lingering litter to the bins for good” by aiming to pick up 400,000 bags of waste.
Back in 2023, there were 155 litter picking events across Manchester city region, 1,564 litter pickers loaned out, and 300 litter picking sets gifted to individuals and families – with a whopping 2,500 bags given to volunteers, which were later collected by the Council’s partner, Biffa.
Greater Manchester residents are being urged to take part in huge UK-wide ‘spring clean’ this month / Credit: Keep Manchester Tidy (via Facebook)
But for this year’s Great British Spring Clean – which is running from next Friday 15 March, right through to the end of the month – it’s hoped to be even more successful than ever before.
This year’s theme is focused on ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ to encourage even more Mancs to join the national movement.
Speaking ahead of the UK-wide event launching next week, Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, commented: “It is fantastic to see the Great British Spring Clean make a return to our city.
It’s part of the ‘Great British Spring Clean’ organised by Keep Britain Tidy / Credit: Keep Manchester Tidy (via Facebook)
“Every year, we are reminded of how important the work of volunteers and our partners who pledge to keep Manchester tidy truly are, and we hope to encourage more volunteers this year.”
Fancy it then?
If you’re keen to join in, volunteers are advised to wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, and high vis jackets and gloves can be supplied by the Council too, if requested.
Follow and share your ‘pledge to pick’ with hashtags #GBSpringClean2024 and #MCRSpringClean24 on social media too.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
Trending
Darts returns to Manchester as Premier League dates are confirmed for 2026
Danny Jones
The schedule for the 2026 Premier League Darts tour has been officially announced, with the PDC’s annual championship returning to Manchester once again.
PDC Premier League fixtures continue to grow in popularity both in TV figures and live match attendance, with a whole new generation of fans getting into ‘the arrows’.
Just as it has for decades now, league darts is coming back to Manchester city centre and the legendary AO Arena once again, with our date landing right in the middle of the season.
Booking a big night right in the middle of a crucial period in the competition? It sounds like 0161 is set to welcome another blockbuster night up at the oche.
Confirmed on Thursday, 11 September, next year’s PDC Premier League Darts campaign will get underway in February, spanning the course of four months and eight countries.
Of the European cities on the circuit, the tournament will be heading to Belgium for the very first time, as the AFAS Dome in Antwerp replaces Exeter.
Elsewhere on the continent, there are two other mainland evenings in Germany and the Netherlands, along with multiple Northern dates here in the UK, such as Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield.
As for Manchester, we’ve been selected for round nine of 17 (including the finals), with the AO Arena set to welcome multiple favoured competitors from the North West, including 18-year-old phenomenon Luke Little from down the road in Warrington, as well as Stockport’s very own Nathan Aspinall.
It was an unforgettable experience for Aspinall last time around in his local event, as he finally managed to win a PDC Premier League night on home turf for the first time in his career.
Those hoping to enjoy a night of darts in front of a Manchester crowd on April 26, 2026, still have to be patient for now, as general admission is still a little way off.
However, if you are interested, you can sign up for the AO’s newsletter to find out more information and get yourself on the waiting list early.
Better, if you go straight through the PDC, you can throw your hat in the ring for the presale window right now and be first in line to grab tickets when they go live.
You can do so HERE and, until then, get your signs and fancy dress at the ready because we’ll be heading back to the ‘boring, boring tables’ soon enough.
See the 2026 PDC Premier League Darts schedule in full down below:
Manchester City said no to a pretty significant player swap with Liverpool last year
Danny Jones
Manchester City reportedly rejected a transfer proposal involving swapping one of their youngest and most exciting stars with close rivals Liverpool in 2024
This could have proved to be an interesting one…
Man City aren’t exactly short on forwards at the moment and have brought in plenty of attacking options over the past year, and with Erling Haaland breaking all manner of records up front for them, they didn’t find it too hard to sell on another promising young striker in Julián Álvarez for a club record sale.
However, as per recent claims made by a Telegraph Sport journalist, there was a possibility of Álvarez swapping the blue of City for the red of Liverpool.
🚨🚨| In summer 2024, when Liverpool realised Luis Díaz wanted to join Man City, their recruitment team proposed the Colombian to the Etihad Stadium in exchange for Julián Alvarez. Man City said: “We don’t sell to rivals." Liverpool said: “Neither do we then."
That’s according to football writer Chris Bascombe, anyway, who recently wrote that the two Premier League sides could have engaged in a player swap deal were the division’s then Treble-winners willing to negotiate with the only other team that has really contested the title with them in recent years.
As you can see, Bascombe states that Luis Díaz wanted a switch to the Etihad Stadium even before the current English champions shuffled their front three.
This has been backed up by The Times’ Paul Joyce as well, who says that the Colombian winger was ultimately “unsettled” by interest from City and others
Díaz (who recently signed for Bayern Munich) made it clear he wanted to play under Pep Guardiola, and it seems there was at least some willingness from the Merseyside outfit.
Provided they get an increasingly wantaway Julián Álvarez in return.
With Haaland having been brought in and making himself comfortably the go-to number nine for what could very well be the next decade, they clearly saw an opportunity to offer him an alternative, but Man City simply said, “We don’t sell to rivals.”
Ultimately, the now 25-year-old World Cup winner went to Europe, joining Atletico Madrid for a whopping £81.5m.
Regardless, it seems hard to imagine not only two top-flight English teams doing a deal like this but to picture what it would have been like to see Álvarez, who was still very highly thought of among a large section of supporters, being cheered on by the fans inside Anfield.
The Argentinian striker – though he has been utilised in a variety of positions at the top end of the pitch – has well and truly shone in La Liga, and now looks like he could be set to swap Madrid for Barcelona.
Álvarez has apparently made it clear to those closest to him that he wants Barca, and despite the summer window closing, the Catalan giants could pursue a deal to sign him next year when his contract expires, or indeed, even go after him this January.
Meanwhile, after bringing in plenty of new talent over the past few months, with Manchester City now effectively being given the green light to proceed with a major commercial sponsorship deal, you could very well see yet more big money being spent in seasons to come.
Emily Sergeant -
7th March 2024 
