Brighter Uckfield is a growing band of volunteers dedicated to improving the look and feel of the town.
They keep it clean and litter-free, clear ignored patches of land, paint neglected buildings, plant bulbs and flower displays, and generally give it some TLC as it deserves.
Litter picking and projects usually take place every every Sunday morning, but some volunteers go out as and when they can to litter-pick the streets and recreational areas around town, including the railway station where dispensation has been given from Govia Thameslink/Southern Rail to work on and behind the platform.
It is now seventeen years since the humble beginnings when just a few people started the initiative to ensure that Uckfield had feel-good energy and look by providing environmental enhancements and prevention of litter buildup. The wonderful litter-picking speaks for itself but the team also have an ongoing list of projects in the town.
They include the front “garden” of the library; an area they have mostly planted and maintained. Also maintenance of the plantings by Boots on one side of the road and the Works on the other side and the shrubs beneath the mosaic at the Picture House and they regularly litter-pick the railway station including the area behind the platform that suffers a great deal from discarded litter.
Areas of unkempt land such as the land between Applegreen fuel station and Bridge Farm Road are mown and strimmed as often as possible. The planters on the approach roads to town are also maintained by the volunteers. A number of narrow lanes and twittens have recently been cut back to make passage easier and as Autumn is here the volunteers will soon be clearing fallen leaves from the car parks and some minor roads where the build-up makes it difficult for some residents to walk safely.