Once again it was great to see just how much volunteers and voluntary organisations contribute to our life in the City. Worcester Lions Club Grant Awards evening highlighted a number of groups who had successfully bid for grants to help their work to continue; it was an impressive evening demonstrating a wide range of activities. These charitable organisations can be said to be the mortar that holds together the bricks of our society here in Worcester.

Last Friday some 70 Italian students visited the Guildhall and they were a very lively lot! The last group were from Sorrento and were a pleasure to talk to – we discussed both Worcester and their home town, which I know quite well. It’s always easier when you have something in common and talking about my memories of their home really broke down the barriers.

This year was Hereford’s turn to host The Three Choirs’ Festival and the Mayoress and I had a very enjoyable visit there; we were both made to feel very welcome – as were the City Council’s Mace Bearers and of course, Frank, our Sword Bearer.

BBC Hereford and Worcester radio held a household waste and recycling event in Crown Gate Shopping Centre earlier this week, where they asked shoppers questions about their recycling habits and challenged them to select the correct bin into which the waste material should go. It was interesting to watch and confirmed the need for more information to help our residents recycle more.

A number of issues came to light – for example a number of passersby said they place their recycling in the green bin already bagged up, when actually it should be placed loose in the bin. Cans and containers should be rinsed out to avoid smells and to improve the quality of the recyclate material – not to mention the working conditions at the Norton Recycling Facility where clean material is so much more pleasant to handle.

Waste should of course be separated where materials are mixed – for example cellophane should be removed from card or paper and placed in the general waste (black) bin and tops removed from milk bottles and similar containers. Cardboard should always go in the green bin, together with any kind of paper. Where families need more recyclate capacity an additional green bin may be requested; this does not apply to the black bins as this would be contrary to the goal of reducing the volume of household waste to landfill. So if you need more green bin capacity, ring The Hub on 01905 722233 and request an additional bin.