Agenda item

The representative of Pride of the Borough (POB) provided a verbal update. Key points to note are:

·         Loyalty cardholders currently number 1000.

·         50 businesses in Oadby offer a discount.

·         Half of the customers using Grange farm Monday to Thursday lunchtime use a loyalty card.

·         The Loyalty card is helping to bring more trade into the Town.

·         Membership for the Loyalty Card can be obtained from Zeph’s Café.

·         There will be a floral competition in 2019. People will be invited to enter and help with judging. Residents may enter a container.

·         A Litter Campaign has begun. This will include rollout to schools and businesses.

·         Knightsbridge Estate Agents is setting up a big litter pick team. It will go around the Ellis Park Area.

·         The representative appealed for help from the residents to share their email and phone number with pride of the Borough. This will help POB with sending out a monthly newsletter and to update a resident’s details when a discount card has been lost. POB does not share its database information with other agencies.

·         The third Saturday of each month a litter pick working party goes out to help keep the locality litter free.

·         The next Litter Pick Group is on Saturday, 16 March 2019 for the Hill Way area. More volunteers would be appreciated. The Litter Pick will be from 9:30am until 11:30am. All volunteers will be provided with litter picking tools. This will include visibility vests and gloves.

·         A request was made by POB to residents requesting volunteer to weed and water four big planters, which they purchased for £500 each. The planters are located in; Parklands, the Legion, Zephs Café, and by Epic Accessories.

·         Oadby Rotary and POB have joined up to plant up the big planters on the Parade.

·         POB is addressing how it can be more effective in coordinating updating of memberships on an annual basis. The next Pride of the Borough public meeting is on Monday, 11 March 2019. The venue is Brocks Hill Centre.

·         A resident wrote to the head of Beauchamp College expressing concern about the amount of dropped litter. It was noted the council does litter pick in the area. It was also identified that Colin Robertson, a member of POB also does a litter pick around Manor High School. If anyone wishes to Join Colin Robertson on this litter pick, Graham Lamb will pass on their details to Colin Robertson. Colin Robertson will then contact the person.

·         Concern was expressed about the level of litter left near Beauchamp College after the purchase of ice creams from a local ice cream trader. POB carries out anti-litter talks with local schools.

·         A resident suggested POB should invest in some “Think Litter” flyers for the Big Clean Up week.

·         POB is to launch a campaign to find out where the litter hotspots are sited. A resident is to contact POB to help organise the great British Clean Up. Residents were also requested to speak to Councillor Jeffrey Kaufman and resident Sue Poole if they are interested in volunteering for the Great Litter Pick and if they wish to volunteer for a litter clean up in their particular area.

Action:

The Chair will check with the Council if the ice cream trader has a licence with Oadby and Wigston Council to sell ice cream near to Beauchamp College.