Appeal for volunteers for town spruce-up

The clean-up crew want to get Ludlow looking as spruced up as possible

A group of residents is appealing for volunteers to come and help them, ahead of a summer spruce-up of a Shropshire town.

The Ludlow Regeneration Focus Group will be cleaning, sweeping and weeding the area on Sunday to brighten it up for visitors.

The initiative began last year "when we were just all aware that the town was looking a bit sad, a bit tired", one of the organisers, Carmel Wilson, said.

About 40 volunteers make up the core group and people have been asked to "bring a brush or a dustpan or some weeding tools".

Ms Wilson added that this year they hoped someone would bring a watering can "because our very good friends the Ludlow Flower Box Action Group" were also taking part.

"Retailers do a huge amount. They will come out and clean their shopfronts and things," she said.

"But there was just a general grubbiness...around litter bins or around the flower boxes that needed weeding."

Volunteers can get involved on Sunday, organisers said

The organiser said there was a core group of about 40 set to take part but "I just put an email out and then cross my fingers that somebody turns up".

They were now on their fourth event since being set up and 30 turning up was the highest attendance so far, she added.

"We sort of do a quick survey of the town and just see which areas are looking as though they could do with just a bit of clean-up," Ms Wilson said.

"We tend to concentrate on the centre of the town just because when visitors are coming in, that's what they see.

"You'll walk up to the castle to see any event [and it] just [looks] a little bit more enticing."

People can gather at the Taste At No 1 cafe from 11:00 BST on Sunday and the initiative is due to last for two to three hours, organisers said.

Ms Wilson added: "If, after we've finished, it rains and then it gets another clean... it looks even better."