STUDENTS will be taught "life skills" to ensure neighbourhoods are kept clean and tidy at the end of university terms following complaints.
Earlier this month, the University of Hull's Students' Union dispatched a work party to help clear up rubbish left strewn in gardens and pavements around Beresford Avenue.
Now, to reinforce their commitment to dealing with the problem, the union has announced plans for awareness weeks – under the banner, "Don't be a rubbish neighbour", which will run at the end of term.
But Richard Brooks, president of the Students' Union, stressed the actions of a minority should not be allowed to undermine the good work of the university to build strong relations with local residents.
He said: "It is disappointing there is an issue, which residents have raised. But it is a small minority causing a problem.
"For a lot of our students, it is their first time away from home and we need to make sure we are teaching them the life skills.
"We constantly tell students, 'You are a resident of Hull and you have a vested interest in making sure it is as nice as possible'.
"When we heard about the problem, we visited the area that same day and returned two days later to clear up the rubbish."
Mr Brooks said he hoped awareness campaigns at the end of each term will help tackle the problem.
He said: "These events aim to educate students as to how they can be a good neighbour and will cover everything from how to get rid of end-of-term rubbish to dealing with the new fortnightly collections."
Mr Brooks said the Students' Union would be seeking "productive dialogue" with Hull City Council to arrange for additional rubbish to be collected at the end of each term.
The union's Community Reps – a group of volunteers who work throughout the year to build relationships with local residents – were involved in the recent clean-up.
Previous award-winning projects run by the group have included street cleaning and noise-reduction schemes.
Mr Brooks said: "As well as our Community Reps scheme, we offer lots of other volunteering opportunities for students to give back to their local community.
"This year, we ran 174 projects, which totaled more than 2,500 hours.
"Examples include conservation projects, befriending projects with the elderly, including taking them out to pub lunches and volunteering with both children and adults with learning difficulties.
"If we get to hear of future problems, we will act."
