NO FEWER than 140 bags of litter were collected in the Nechells area of Birmingham, not to mention bulky items such as old mattresses. Organised by Churches Together in Nechells, a workforce of 70 volunteers gathered on a Saturday morning last month, including worshippers at St Matthew's.

The Assistant Curate of Aston and Nechells, the Revd Becky Jones, said that it was great to see people getting together to make a difference: "It's really rewarding to work with others who also love the area."

At lunchtime, people downed tools and were more than ready for the two barbecues: one at the side of St Matthew's, the other in the Nechells Outreach Centre. There was a generous variety of food supplied by local businesses, including two Chinese restaurants, Blakemores, Cleone Foods, and Tesco.

Members of staff from Co-op Funeral Care had also joined in, and the van to remove the rubbish had been supplied by Birmingham City Mission.