The Muslim Youth Group AMYA was out in the early hours on New Year’s Day, cleaning up the Bolton Town Centre by picking up litter and plastic waste, to raise awareness for plastic pollution.
The Youth Group cleaned the litter from Nelson Square, Level Pub, Bradshaw gate, Deans gate, Market Street and Victoria Square.
Group leader, Ahmad Salman Arshad, said: “We had a group of 15, with six of those being under 15, helping to clean the town for their community.”
“We have been doing this since the last four years, and it helps the young people understand the importance of giving back to their community, and not just asking and taking.”
Mr Arshad has been the group leader for four years. However, he joined the group in Bolton over 15 years ago as a youth himself.
He said: “I joined when I was young, and believe that even in our religion it says we should keep our streets tidy.”
“It’s good to get young people involved to use their time for the betterment of the society, as we have an issue within Muslim youth where they may do wrong things.”
“The children as young as six came early to help out, and said they wanted to do it, so it’s nice they chose this.”
In total, there are over 7.7 billion plastic bottles which are bought across the UK every year, resulting in large amounts of single-use plastic waste.
The AMYA, are the UK’s oldest and largest Muslim Youth group and take to the streets in the early hours of New Year’s Day every year to clean the UK streets by picking up litter and plastic waste.
They have also planted trees, completed blood drives, and helped the homeless, in the past as part of their annual activities to help better the area around them.
Mr Arshad said: “Pollution is a big issue and I think we should be out there helping the local authority clean our streets and if we all do it; it will make a change.”
Abdul Quddus Arif National President of AMYA, said: “Around 1,500 Ahmadi Muslim Youth across the UK will clean the streets on New Year’s Day while others will mostly be asleep or on holiday enjoying themselves.
Arriving with bin bags, brooms and litter pickers, the young Muslims wish to clean the streets of the UK hoping that 2020 will see a drop on pollution and plastic waste.
The cleaning began at 7.15 in Bolton, and the group was finished by 8.30 am.
