Volunteers clean up the Rochdale Canal

Local residents in Newton Heath and Failsworth and staff from Marks & Spencer joined together with the Trust and the Inland Waterways over the weekend, to help to clean-up the Rochdale Canal.

Around 50 volunteers helped spruce up the canal which runs through Manchester by cutting back overgrown vegetation and clearing the litter that can make the canal look unsightly and that is harmful to wildlife. Lock gates and railings were also given a fresh lick of paint to help improve the overall appearance of the canal.

The event was part of an annual big clean-up on the canal and Marks & Spencer's ‘Spark Something Good' campaign which chosen the canal as one of their community events across Manchester.

David Baldachinno, at the Canal & River Trust, said: “I would like to thank everyone who volunteered their own time to come out over the weekend to clean up the canal.

"The Rochdale Canal is a great place for people to get away from it all and is home to many much loved wildlife species such as ducks and swans. Even so, some people still seem to think it's acceptable to drop litter and even dump their rubbish.

"We've made such a difference over the weekend and it was great to see so many people muck in to make the canal a nicer place for everyone to enjoy.”