Students 'clean up' Holylands

Students from the University of Ulster took to the streets of south Belfast’s Holyland area this week in a clean-up campaign that will be a model for a new environmental awareness programme across the University’s four campus neighbourhoods in Northern Ireland.

Students gathered at the City Church, University Avenue to help with the litter sweep, using equipment supplied by Belfast City Council.

Colleen Dowdall, University of Ulster Students’ Union Overall President said: “Students and residents who live in the Holyland have expressed a mutual concern for the growing problem of litter in the area.

"The University of Ulster Students’ Union is positively responding to this by launching an environmental campaign which will include clean-up’s across Northern Ireland starting with the Holyland area. Students have an important role to play in the community and this is one of many initiatives which will enable them to do so”.

SDLP MP for south Belfast Alastair McDonnell welcomed the University of Ulster student initiative. “Students are often the first to be blamed when it comes to problems with the Holylands," he said.

“It is refreshing to see the University of Ulster students redressing the balance and raising awareness with their Environmental Campaign."

This week's initiative follows previous attempts by students to improve relations between the universities and local residents.

Earlier this year eighteen people were arrested for “disorderly behaviour” following disturbances in the same area.

Queen’s University also suspended one student previous to this after he was caught behaving badly in public.

In April the University of Ulster launched a Civic Leadership Training Programme developed as part of the on-going efforts to promote good relations between students and residents, particularly in the Holyland area.

(MB)