27/03/12…….Councillor praises church Thame Tidy team

DOZENS of volunteers took to the highways and byways of Thame on Sunday (25/03) for Thame Tidy Day organized by the local council and supported by local community groups. A team from the Cornerstone Church too had different teams of all ages helping to clear areas along the Phoenix trail and around the Van Diemans estate.

Paddy Harris, Pastor at Cornerstone,said: ?People can?t understand why we are giving up our spare time to clear rubbish. While we were cleaning up we had members of the general public offering to get involved next year. We have also had loads of positive comments and encouragement from passersby. It is amazing what a few dozen people can do in such a short time.

“Our congregation is always encouraged and keen to help in community based projects. Thame Tidy Day is something close to our hearts and continues on from Love Thame, a community based project that we launched in 2008. It is great to do something in the local community, he concluded.

The church teams helped to clear rubbish that had been dumped along the Phoenix trail and in the estate, including beds, old toy houses and lots of other unwanted household items.

Former Thame Mayor, Adam Buckland, said: ?It is great to see a local church like Cornerstone and its members volunteering for events like Tidy Thame Day. Well done to all who took part on a fantastic achievement and a great community effort!?

Cornerstone is an independent Baptist, caf