Enveco Hosts Their Second Volunteer Thank You Event to Celebrate Blackpool’s Volunteers
On Thursday, 26th February 2026, Enveco proudly hosted its second Volunteer Thank You Event at the fantastic Blackpool Football Club. The purpose of the day was simple but incredibly important — to say thank you to the individuals who generously give their time to help keep Blackpool tidy.
Enveco’s 250 dedicated employees work across a wide range of services that support the town every day. These include Parks and Grounds Maintenance, Street Cleansing, Domestic and Commercial Waste Collection, Fleet Maintenance for Blackpool Council and Enveco, Pest Control, Building Cleaning, and managing the Household Waste Recycling Centre (the tip), alongside their professional office-based support team.
However, the volunteers celebrated at this event play a vital role alongside these services, contributing their time, energy and pride to help keep our community clean and welcoming.
A Day of Celebration and Recognition
The event began with a presentation from Enveco’s Neighbourhood Officer, Diane Farley, who has worked for the Council for nearly 44 years. Diane is an integral part of the volunteering network, supporting local litter pickers and community groups, and her passion and dedication were clear to everyone in the room, along with the full team who helped make the day such a big success.
Guests were then treated to a special talk from former police officer Mike Barton, now a volunteer at Jubilee Gardens. Mike spoke about the importance of volunteering, not only for the community but for personal health and wellbeing. He shared insights from his time in the police force and reflected on how volunteering continues to give him purpose and connection.
Enveco’s Marketing and Communication officer came on to speak about some of the exciting events planned and an update on the future waste changes.
Celebrating 2,475 Volunteer Hours from 2024/25
A key highlight of the presentation was the recognition of the incredible number of hours contributed by volunteers, just under 2,500 hours during 2024/25 alone. This remarkable commitment demonstrates the strength of community spirit across Blackpool.
The event also marked the exciting introduction of a brand-new Volunteer Pack. The pack includes everything volunteers need to know, including key guidance, dos and don’ts, and details on how to log their hours.
Another important reveal was the launch of the new Keep Blackpool Tidy (KBT) volunteering bags. The bags are now white and feature a KBT sticker to clearly show that the rubbish has been collected by a KBT volunteer. This change helps Enveco teams easily distinguish between volunteer-collected waste and fly-tipping, ensuring bags are collected quickly and efficiently.
Following the event, guests were invited to enjoy a guided tour of Blackpool Football Club, a fantastic opportunity to explore the venue.
Honoured Guests
The event was attended by several special guests, including:
- Councillor Lynn Williams – Leader of the Council (overall strategic leadership and corporate portfolio oversight).
- Councillor Jane Hugo – Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Climate Change.
- Councillor Mark Wilshaw – Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety (alongside his role as Board Member at Enveco Ltd).
- Elaine Smith MBE
- Blackpool in Bloom judges Betty Bradford, Judi Brown and Tim Riley
They were joined by members of Enveco’s Leadership Team, including Finance Director Paul Whitehead and Policy and Performance Director Paula Ramsay, as well as members of the Enveco team who worked hard to make the day what it was.
Guests also had the opportunity to step into the spotlight, sharing their appreciation and reflections on the importance of volunteering in Blackpool.
Thank You
The event was a true celebration of community spirit. Volunteers are at the heart of ‘Keeping Blackpool Tidy’, and their contribution makes a visible and lasting difference to the town.
Enveco would like to once again say a heartfelt thank you to every volunteer who continues to make Blackpool a cleaner, greener and prouder place to live and visit. Along with a big thank you to the Blackpool Football Club for their outstanding service two years in a row.
Enveco looks forward to continuing its collaboration with volunteers and residents to ‘Keep Blackpool Tidy’, and from our team, we want to say a big THANK YOU for all you do!