Local staff from McDonald’s restaurant in Sprucefield united with Hillsborough Boys and Lisburn United FC in a clean-up operation to rid litter from the areas in and around Hillsborough Forest Park.

Held in support of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Big Spring Clean campaign, the McDonald’s team collected over 18 bags of rubbish during the litter pick. McDonald’s has supported the Big Spring Clean Campaign since 2010 and restaurants took part in a number of events throughout April.

John McCollum, local McDonald’s franchisee said: “The Big Spring Clean Campaign is an effective way of making a positive difference to a particular area and in previous years it has been inspiring to see members of the community join forces to take action on litter that damages our environment. At McDonald’s we believe it is important for everyone to help protect and preserve the environment for future generations and we're committed to finding ways to reduce, reuse and recycle in our restaurants and across our business.

“I’d like to thank my staff and all the volunteers for their hard work, setting a good example of what can be achieved if people pull together. It’s vital that we all do our bit to tackle the issue - everyone from the business world should make a commitment to help protect their local environment.

Nicola Murray, Community Development Officer Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said “It is fantastic to see staff and members of the local community coming together to support Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s BIG Spring Clean campaign. The clean ups have been a great success and working together is exactly what the campaign is about, renewing community pride in where we live and where we love. Together we can really make a difference.”

As well as the larger-scale Big Spring Clean events, staff at every McDonald’s restaurant also patrol the streets regularly to collect all litter that has been discarded, regardless of its origin.

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