Ballintrillick Environmental Group (BEG) reported a record attendance by children on Saturday 29th March at its 22nd year clean up of the Ballintrillick area.
BEG was originally made up of 9 volunteers back in 1992 who came together to clean up the area as a result of illegal dumping. In 2000, they opened The Benwiskin Centre which is used as a community centre for classes and functions, a place for the local community to use for meetings and socials and it is also run as a tourist hostel.
The Ballintrillick Clean Up has continued as an annual event and this year welcomed for the first time the 12th Sligo Ballintrillick Group, made up of Beavers and Cubs from ages 6-11 formed from schools all over the community who use the Benwiskin Centre as their meeting venue on Monday nights. Children from the local school, St. Aidans also participated along with original members from 1992 (the oldest of them up to approx. 80 years of age) and other past members from latter years together with their families. BEG are very grateful for the co-operation provided by North Sligo County Council team members over the years.
The group covered the whole of Ballintrillick, including The Gleniff Horseshoe area, which had recently seen an increase of illegal dumping and they all congregated at The Benwiskin Centre where soup and sandwiches were provided by staff from The Centre and Noreen Duignan, founder member of BEG.
A huge thank you to everyone that took part and made this event such a success which benefits the whole community and continues to bring tourists to the area.
Lisa Lomax, Chairperson, BEG
If anyone would like to join BEG or participate in clean up 2015, please contact Jackie Warnock at The Benwiskin Centre on 071 9176721.