Birmingham’s biggest private hire operator, A2B Radio Cars, is setting an example for keeping the streets clean. In a bid to tackle cleanliness in the Midlands, the organisation has donated £1000 to Clean & Green voluntary community group and have co-hosted a community litter pick.
A2B Radio Cars, a regional brand of the UK’s fastest growing private hire technology platform Veezu, gathered a team of volunteers from their staff to litter-pick across the Smith’s Wood area of North Solihull with eight volunteers from Clean & Green on Thursday 16 November.
Clean & Green, founded by Paul ‘Pablo’ Sultana in 2016, is the largest litter-picking group in North Solihull, boasting a cohort of around 1,110 volunteers. Alongside the physical impact the group have had on the environment, they pride themselves on the impact they are having on attitudes towards littering.
Based on a council estimate that it costs approximately £50 in resources for every bag of litter that is removed from our streets, Thursday’s pick of 35 bags saved the council the equivalent of £1,750.
To combat the perception that taxi drivers were notorious for littering in the area, volunteers from A2B Radio Cars took the opportunity to become more involved with the community and show their support for the local area by joining the litter-pick. Their donation will also support Clean & Green’s community and environmental initiatives going forward.
Graham Hoof, Regional Operations Director for A2B Radio Cars, said: “The work of the volunteers of Clean & Green is hugely admirable in dedicating so much of their time to better their community. Their commitment and sense of responsibility is infectious and goes a long way towards encouraging others to do the same. We are keen to grow our partnership with Clean & Green and further support their efforts.”
Lee Browning, a leader at Clean & Green and councillor for Kingshurst, Solihull, said: “With the generous £1000 donation, we will invest in more equipment. This will include replacing boots, trousers and gloves for protection in woodland areas, and buying a supply of gloves and high vis jackets for existing and future volunteers. Any remaining funds will go towards a free community fundraiser we’re hosting on Saturday 16 December at our local church and community centre.”
Paul Sultana, founder of Clean & Green, said: “North Solihull is more deprived compared to Central and South Solihull which is much more affluent. There are high levels of unemployment here and we recognise the need for more resources which we just don’t have access to. It is great to have a national business like Veezu recognising the need for support in this area of Solihull, which is often overlooked.
“With their enthusiastic volunteers and generous donation, Veezu is setting the example for how any company, regardless of size or industry, can get involved in community work and support their local area.”