A group of residents who had always taken an interest in where they lived and worked hard to improve the area faced a challenge when rats and rubbish became an issue on the East Acton Golf Links Estate.

Not an easy topic to tackle even at the best of times – but when you have hundreds of neighbours living on one estate it can be even harder. They needed help.

The group called in the help of the community champions who were happy to help focus people’s attention. The champions knocked on every neighbour’s door and spoke to them about the rubbish being fly-tipped on their doorsteps and the rats feasting on food being left in black rubbish bags.

The East Acton Golf Links Estate Residents Association wanted to keep the neighbours involved and make the clean-up a fun experience. A best kept front garden competition was launched with the hope that people would clean up their own front gardens and maybe even the areas in front of their homes, giving the estate a proper clean up. 

The winners of the front garden competition were announced at a family fun day on The Green. The fun day gave the residents’ association team another chance to talk to their neighbours and help get them on board with making the estate a better place to live for everyone. The community champions’ fund was able to help by paying £400 towards the cost of a bouncy castle, the competition prizes and the printing of some flyers to promote the fun day.