Through the council’s Community Wish List (CWL) initiative, a shredding truck was hired out free of charge to the management group of Burnhill Highbacks by Paper Shredding Services.

The group looks after the area in Burnhill known locally as Highbacks - a community garden that already uses solar and wind to provide a carbon-neutral power source.

However, its environmental subgroup wanted to go further in its sustainable choices and applied to the CWL to ask if help was available to provide a means of shredding in the community.

Nicole Kane, group secretary explained: “We now have an environmental group, mostly young people, who share their knowledge on climate change and how we can help.

“They came up with the idea of sourcing a shredding truck for a morning to help the community understand how important it is to shred personal or sensitive papers.

“We had such a brilliant response from local people and even some fellow groups, made better by the fact that it was based in the heart of their own community.”

As well as boosting the community’s sustainable options, access to the shredding truck allowed for the safe disposal of confidential paperwork and related protection from identity fraud or similar scams.

Paper Shredding Services is one of several local and national businesses signed up to respond when applications to the CWL come in.

Head of Sales, Eleanor Furmage, said: “We are deeply committed to offering meaningful community benefits. The Burnhill event exemplifies this commitment by allowing residents to securely shred confidential documents. 

“Beyond safeguarding sensitive information, we also aim to raise awareness about the significance of environmentally responsible document disposal practices. 

“Through initiatives like Burnhill, we strive to contribute positively to the communities we serve while promoting sustainability and security.”

The Community Wish List is supported by the council’s Community Engagement team.

Chair of the Finance and Corporate Resources Committee, Councillor Lesley McDonald, said: "This is another great example of the CWL and the unique and individual benefits it can bring to local communities and organisations.”

Local community groups can submit a wish via the council website, by email, or by calling 0303 123 1017.

*We can’t guarantee that every request will be selected, nor give a timeframe of when  - or if - requests will be taken forward. This is because the process depends on contractors and suppliers choosing a suitable and feasible cause to support.