Members from the UK's largest and oldest Muslim youth group are organising a large-scale litter campaign across Milton Keynes.
As Britain plans to come out of lockdown, members from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) are calling on residents to join the "city's largest" litter pick on the last weekend of March (27th and 28th).
In line with Government restrictions, residents are being urged to head out for their daily exercise in their local area with litter pickers and bin bags to hand to clear rubbish in parks and on pedestrian walkways.
This comes as The Parks Trust, a self-financing charity responsible for maintaining the city's parkland, has called on people to stop littering as it can harm wildlife and act as a big drain on the charity's resources.
Members of AMYA, some as young as 7-years-old, will be getting up before dawn on the 27th and 28th March for a special prayer before they put on hi-vis jackets to go litter picking.
Saeed Nazir, Local Youth Leader from Milton Keynes, explains: "In Islam, ‘Cleanliness is Part of Faith’, so there’s no better way to serve our faith and our country. Islam urges every Muslim to partake in charitable giving, community service, and promote cleanliness.
"AMYA has and continues to instil young people with a sense of civic responsibility, and a desire to promote harmony within our local communities. The Clean-up campaign ensures Muslim youth can be active members of society and serve their communities and the environment.”
Those who wish to join in with the large-scale litter pick can do so at their own convenience on the weekend of the 27th and 28th March and should follow the current coronavirus rules.
AMYA will also provide free litter pickers and bin bags to those that need them, and they can be requested by contacting the organisation through its website.
