MEMBERS of Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Oldham are set to celebrate the new year by participating in a voluntary litter picking session.

The group will be cleaning up Oldham town centre in the early hours of New Year's Day in coordination with Oldham Council.

Laiq Khan, lead outreach coordinator, said: “Some of our members have enjoyed living in Oldham for years, and so any opportunity to contribute positively to the town and its people is a source of great pride, honour and pleasure for us.

“As Ahmadiyya Muslims, our year begins with pre-dawn prayers for a peaceful, prosperous and happy new year for us and everyone in the world.

“This isn’t just about keeping our surroundings clean, but also a good reminder to ourselves of our religious obligation to serve the wider community.”

The group is encouraging the local community to join the New Year street cleaning event.

Members will congregate at Tommyfield Market car park at 8 am on New Year’s Day.