Local councils have been taking various initiatives to keep their localities clean by actively involving the communities which they represent.
During 2010, Local Councils and Management Committees held 56 cleaning activities in the space of five months, thousands of local residents, from children to business owners, participated in these initiatives.
These initiatives aim to make everyone more aware of the importance of their surroundings, roads, public spaces, countryside and beaches, and the need for them to be kept clean to enable them to be enjoyed by one and all.
Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Local Councils, Dr Chris Said, said that the work and initiatives taken during the past year, had helped to keep their localaties clean and to promote a healthy culture for cleanliness and recycling among their residents.
The local Councils of Mellieha, Marsascala and San Lawrenz ranked first, second and third respectively in the ‘Clean Initiative Award.’
For the first time, awards were also given to the Administrative Committees, these committees were Santa Lucia, Kercem and San Kappara.
San Lawrenz Village Council launched their own mascot last year, ‘Wenz and Xmejxa.’ This mascot is linked to the particular identity of the village locality.
Wenz is a normal boy from San Lawrenz who really loves the environment, life, and the locality of San Lawrenz. This lovely character is holding a hoe in his hand, with a ball at his feet and is leaning on the emblem of the village. Xmejxa is another character which is symbolizing another important element…..the sun, which has a close bond with the village of San Lawrenz.
During the year many initiatives were taken in this sense where all the community became involved so that today the San Lawrenz Council said it has a locality which is more conscious of cleanliness.
The Administrative Committee of Santa Lucia Council primarily undertook initiatives involving information campaigns among their residents.
Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said praised the work of the Administrative Committees, saying that although work only began eight months ago, they have already started making a difference in their respective communities.