A GROUP of people are keen for help to ensure one of Ayr’s parks is kept litter free this Summer.

The Friends of Newton Park are on the lookout for volunteer litter pickers to deal with the issue within the stunning setting.

They are a motivated group of people doing their bit in the community and ensuring the park is used by everyone, and now they are looking for other people’s help to keep the park tidy during the Summer months.

The issue of litter is more widely reported during the Summer and when the sun comes out, it predictably means more people getting out and about to enjoy it, but also leads to more mess being left.

The park has a number of bins but they only get emptied once a week, and with the increased footfall, it leads to rubbish being dumped where people are sitting or standing throughout the park.

Newton Park are asking people to help with their litter picking efforts, or to encourage people to take their litter home with them and dispose of it responsibly.

They have litter pickers available in one of their bins for people to use, as well as bags and hand sanitiser all there and to be put back when they are done.

A spokesperson for the group said: “We have reported the bins to the local council. They only get emptied once a week and we know that this is not enough.

“Our wee park is being used more so naturally we are filling our bins more which is a great problem to have. We can all help by taking big bags of litter home and not squashing it in the bins.

“We can also help our local community by keeping our park clean. We need volunteer litter pickers most nights after 8pm, so if the kids are interested in the environment and want to help out, please give us a shout for the code for the litter bin, where we have litter pickers and bags.

“Let’s play our part and have a park that is clean and litter free.”

If you are keen to help out with litter picking, or are looking for a way to keep the kids entertained during the holidays, you can message the Newton Park Ayr Facebook page for more information.

Speaking about the issue at the park, a South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We aim to empty the litter bins at Newton Park twice a week, and we achieve this ambition most of the time.

“We also respond to requests from the Friends of Newton Park to empty bins at other times where resources permit.

“Everyone has to take responsibility for their litter, so if a bin is full, either wait until you pass an empty bin or take you litter home with you.”