However treasured, the city does not escape the damaging effects of waste and pollution. On Saturday 24 August, our incredible team of Wave Maker volunteers, supported by Medtronic, will join forces with voluntary group Serve the City to deliver a thorough clean-up of the city centre.

Serve the City is a global movement of volunteers who regularly partner with charitable organisations to carry out practical acts of kindness to people in need. Starting out as a week-long service in Brussels in 2005, the movement is now active in 65 cities worldwide. Having worked closely with Tidy Towns and Councillor Niall McNelis on several clean-up operations, Serve the City Galway are now teaming up with our own Wave Makers to make the city sparkle.

Elena Toniato, Volunteer Programme Development Manager, Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture says the Wave Makers are delighted to be supporting the Serve the City initiative. “We always aim to support our vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities through our volunteer programme and working with the Serve the City initiative can serve to support that aim.

Volunteers will set off at 10am on Saturday morning to pick up litter and remove stickers and posters from poles in and around Eyre Square. Director of Serve the City Galway, Tim O’Toole says, “We hope to help encourage the public by showing that through volunteering, many people doing small things together can make a big difference – that volunteering can be fun and easy. So much can be done in only two hours. We also hope to bring a little more sparkle and shine to the city.”

“We have a saying – “If you love where you live, be a part of it!”- and there are so many easy ways to do that. The city council workers stay very busy, and they do a brilliant job of cleaning up after Galway everyday but ultimately, we shouldn’t be leaving a mess. We want Galway to be attractive not just to all of us who live here, but to the many who visit,” adds Tim.

The initiative is another brilliant example of “Meitheal” – the ancient Irish tradition of shared labour and reciprocity, upon which Galway 2020 bases its collaboration with local communities. People are happiest when working towards a shared purpose, and fun is an integral part of that. O’Toole says, “Galwegians are so generous with their time, and it’s a really great buzz to spend just a couple of hours laughing and cleaning. Then, to walk around town and see the difference that you were able to make.”

To get involved with future clean-ups, visit the Serve the City Facebook Page.