Sefton backs Keep Britain Tidy's million mile mission to clean up the country
SEFTON Council and its army of volunteers, are once
again, backing Keep Britain Tidy's Great British Spring Clean campaign. Running
from:- Friday, 28 May to Sunday, 13 June 2201, this year's Great British Spring
Clean calls on the public to help the charity achieve a million miles of litter
picking. Throughout the Pandemic it has become evident how we have all
relied on the local green spaces and countryside, parks and beaches, as
somewhere to escape to, to exercise and to play. Now, Sefton Council has pledged
its support for Keep Britain Tidy's annual campaign and is asking residents and
visitors across the Borough to do their bit.
Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing,
said:- "Litter continues to be an issue along our coast, in our parks and
green spaces. Each year Green Sefton Officers spend around 5,700 hours clearing
litter and emptying bins across the Borough's parks and spaces that they manage
totalling 2,340 tonnes. That's the equivalent weight of around 3,600 of Antony
Gormley's cast iron Crosby Beach statues. And it is also the Council's time and
resources that could otherwise be used to enhance our surroundings, facilities
and services across the Borough. It's really encouraging to see national
initiatives like the Great British Spring Clean highlighting just how important
it is for Local Authorities and community groups to undertake this work, but
it's also a timely reminder that each and every person using Sefton's outdoor
spaces should be disposing of all of their litter correctly. This means using
bins where they are provided, but also being prepared to take litter home after
a day out if bins are full."
This year's campaign comes as the charity has reported a massive increase in the
number of people who have started litter-picking during the various lockdowns.
It has seen the number of 'litter heroes' grow by a third in less
than 12 months. Sefton already has many incredibly active and dedicated
volunteer groups who support their local beauty spots by keeping them clean and
tidy. Over the fortnight of Great British Spring Clean activity, Green Sefton
Officers will be supporting additional volunteer-focused activities across its
parks and beaches.
Cllr Moncur added:- "The whole Green Sefton team would like to extend a
huge thank you to our dedicated volunteer groups who spend their own time
helping to clear up their local outdoor spaces, setting a real example for how
our communities have a role to play in keeping our Borough looking great, so
that we can all enjoy our time spent outdoors. It's timely that it's also
Volunteers' Week, where across Sefton we're celebrating the spirt of our
communities who've done so much, especially over the past year, giving up their
time to help others. A massive thank you to every single volunteer who supports
Green Sefton!"
The Great British Spring Clean, now in its 6th year, brings together
individuals, community organisations, businesses and Councils to make a
difference to the environment on our doorstep. In 2019, more than
½
a million people collected just under a million bags of litter, weighing around
4,308 tonnes.
Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden Newton said:- "The Great
British Spring Clean would not be possible without the support of local
authorities, including Sefton Council. We have all spent a lot more time in our
local area in the past year and have come to realise just how important our
local park or green space is for our mental and physical health. We need to care
for these spaces and the Great British Spring Clean is an opportunity for
everyone to take a small action that, collectively, can make a big difference.
Whether you commit to do five minutes or five hours, every single pledge will
help us reach our million-mile target and clear many tonnes of litter pollution
from our environment."
People can pledge to get involved by visiting:-
KeepBritainTidy.Org. Anyone who would
like to volunteer for a litter picking activity, might have an interest in
joining a:- 'Friends of…' park group or would like to spend more
time at the coast as a Beach Ambassador should get in touch. To find out more,
people can contact the Green Sefton team directly by email at:-
GreenSefton@Sefton.Gov.UK.
College students help to clean up their community
STUDENTS from Hugh Baird College have formed a
volunteer group to help clean up the streets around the College's Bootle campus.
The group, comprised of learners from across the College's courses, have created
their own:- 'Community Action Group' to tackle the litter on the
streets of Bootle with an aim to make a difference to the local community. The
students were supported during their 1st litter picking sessions by Sefton
Council's Locality Services who provided bags and litter pickers as well as two
Eco vehicles to assist with sweeping and clearing. In total they filled over 100
refuse bags of rubbish, ranging from takeaway bags to plastic bottles.
Rebecca Clegg, a Hospitality and Catering student, at Hugh Baird College, said:-
"I enjoyed our 1st get together to clean up the streets around our campus and I
was astonished to see the amount of litter we collected after just a few hours.
I feel proud of the difference we've made so far."
Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for Locality Services,
said:- "Our Cleansing Officers were so impressed with the students from
Hugh Baird College. I also caught up with a group of them after a successful few
hours of litter clearance and was able to say a massive thank you on behalf of
our communities to them for their efforts. Often the youngsters in our
neighbourhoods are blamed for making a mess and not caring about their
environment. It was fantastic to see this group, and the College, playing their
part in looking after the streets here, in Bootle."
Peter Moore, Sefton Council's Head of Highways and Public
Protection, said:- "These students are setting a real example
for how our communities have a role to play in keeping our Borough
looking great. I hope that people will take notice of these
students, leading by example, and will think again before they
decide to drop litter. Perhaps they'll even encourage others to keep
their streets tidy too. We do have limited Council resources and so
strengthening relationships with local building and landowners, as
well as volunteer and community groups, ensures that we can work
together in a collective effort that means we all take
responsibility to keep Sefton clean, green and beautiful."
Rachael Hennigan, Principal and Chief Executive of Hugh Baird
College, said:- "As a College, we care deeply about our local
community and we are proud to have our Balliol Road Campus based in
the heart of Bootle. The litter pick was an excellent example of
how, by working together, we can make a real and positive difference
to the area. The students are a real credit to the College and it
was inspiring to see so many of them take part. This is the 1st of
many community litter picks through which we can continue to grow
our collective sense of pride for the place in which we live, work
and study. I'd like to thank Sefton Council's Locality Services team
for the support they've given to our students and their new group."