Introducing the ‘Tidy Team’
The Tidy Team are Andy Wilson, Rob Flake, Peter Shannon and David Dale. Chris Brotherton retired at the end of 2022 having been with us since 1996 when the town council decided to employ two handymen. Andy joined us in 2006 after his predecessor, Barry Skelton retired. With the town growing rapidly, Rob joined us in 2020 and then Peter and David in 2022 to enable us to undertake more tasks. They all work full time for us. We were the first town council in the region to employ a manual team and extend our services from administrative to operational.
The Town Council felt that the services provided by the ERYC were insufficient and that Driffield was being let down and left behind. They decided if ERYC were not going to keep Driffield up to scratch then they would have to. There were also various things that other towns received as a matter of course but Driffield did not, such as Christmas light decorations etc. The then town council decided that they must step up to the plate and stand up for Driffield and employing the Tidy Team was part of this plan.
Regular jobs
- Maintain and empty over 44 litter bins 3 x weekly
- Maintain and install all the street furniture – including benches & bus shelters
- Maintain and fill all the red grit boxes and gritting in winter
- Maintain and grass cut all the parish paths, the Millennium Green & other green open spaces
- Look after the allotments
- Run the weekly street market
- Erect the Christmas Lights and other things such as the summer bunting
- Supply & water the summer hanging baskets & plant and maintain over 20 flower and shrub beds
- Maintain all the council buildings including the depot/workshop, Cass Hall, the public toilets and the Market Walk offices
- Look after our play park at St Margaret’s Close and the amenity area at Fawcett Gardens
- Undertake street cleaning in the main shopping areas
- Carry out specific litter picking or clear up projects e.g. Market Place/Viking Car Park/the beck
- Run all our annual events such as the Christmas Festival in liaison with the office
- Assist other groups and organisations run events – The Old Folks Tea, Skatepark & Driffield in Bloom
- Maintain the war memorials
- Provide urgent assistance when needed by either groups, ERYC or individuals
- Deliver special projects that otherwise would not happen such as install the bikes and decorations for the visit of the Tour de Yorkshire and various memorials to mark special national events – such as World War commemorations
