Many hands make light work at Montrose community Clean Up

Set up at the usual meeting place, in the town’s centre, Montrose’s Clean Up Day has become a beloved fixture on the community’s calendar. The event involves three groups, with three different skill sets, united by a common goal — to make Montrose cleaner, greener, and more connected.

Montrose Township Group (MTG), a volunteer-driven organisation dedicated to strengthening the community and caring for their town, hosts this annual event with a focus on creating a family-friendly, inclusive experience. For the second year running, MTG partnered with the Montrose Environmental Group (MEG) to bring this special day to life.

Karen Davies, from MEG, commented on the collaborative effort: “It was great to all work together. Many hands make light work!”

Pat Natoli, from another Montrose community group, the Montrose Community Cupboard – a food waste rescue charity - also joined in on the fun. Pat provided a free bread mini-market for participants to grab some goodies after their hard work. Pat said: “It was really nice to see so many faces I knew there, and to meet a bunch of people I didn't.  It was great to see families out and kids being enthusiastic to help!”

This year, around 25 people gathered in the heart of the town. There were a big range of ages present – proving that caring for your place is a value that transcends generations!  Different ‘cleaning zones’ were mapped out – from the town’s centre and nearby bush reserves to the Montrose Recreational Reserve. To add a little extra incentive (and a good dose of fun), five Golden Tickets were hidden in these areas for the kids to find and win a prize! Prizes for ‘most collected’ litter item and ‘strangest rubbish find’ were also up for grabs. People armed themselves with gloves and rubbish bags, and headed out to tackle the task (and search for coveted Golden Tickets!).

Connecting over a common goal

The benefits of this event extend beyond environmental health. Clean Up Australia events offer an opportunity for communities to connect - as groups and individuals. Montrose’s event has always been promoted as welcoming and inclusive, with an aim to foster community connectivity. A sense of community can really support and enhance mental health and wellbeing. As highlighted by the Victorian state government Department of Health, these social connections can “really generate a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical wellbeing.”

Why partner with other community groups?

Collaborating with other groups can strengthen community connectedness in several ways:

• It can expand the event’s reach – more ground covered means more litter picked up!
• Attendees may meet new people outside of their usual circles.
• Financial, material, and human resources can be pooled to make a greater impact.
• Different groups have different areas of expertise, so combining efforts is a win for all! 
• Collaborative events demonstrate inclusivity by combining different interests and demographics.
• Community pride is enhanced through practical action.
• Long-term relationships between groups may emerge.
• A combined event often has a stronger voice in public communications, leading to increased awareness and support for community causes.

“Hunting for rubbish can be fun when we do it together!”

Chelsey Cooper, President of the MTG, commented on the event: "Part of our role as Montrose Township Group is to inspire people to care about each other, our place and our country. Clean Up Day Montrose is such a great way for people of all ages to contribute to community life through caring for Country and place. Plus, most of us discover that the hunt for rubbish around town can be fun when we do it together!"

Jo Carland, event organiser of previous years, said: “It’s a hit with families, as they get to walk together with their kids, meet new people and hunt for rubbish.  The kids also love hunting for the annual Golden Ticket we hide around town!”

An unexpected twist!

In an unexpected twist, the group’s final consensus was that there was less rubbish around this year compared to previous ones! Areas that had been heavily littered in the past had received some ongoing community care in recent months. 

So, although the team agreed that the work will likely continue for years to come, it was a positive end to the day, with less rubbish collected than ever before, showing the community's growing commitment to keeping Montrose clean.

The event closed with the usual gathering at the cottage for a morning tea and chat, and the obligatory photos of the group proudly posing with their rubbish! 

Great work, Montrose!

By Madeleine Coyle