Could you help us make a difference in your local community, as we continue to work together to tackle litter in the district?
That’s the message from Dover District Council which is looking for volunteers to sign up for this year’s Great British Spring Clean campaign (GBSC).
The annual litter picking event, organised by Keep Britain Tidy and taking place between 25 March and 10 April, calls on everyone to help make Britain cleaner and greener. Acknowledging the theme that ‘One bag makes a BIG difference’ the council is looking to support the campaign fortnight by taking local action.
Local parks and beaches offer residents and visitors much needed space to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The council spends £1.5m each year on street cleansing and regularly runs local campaigns encouraging residents to pick up after their dog, use the local bins and take any rubbish home with them.
Unfortunately, though, there are still some who don’t dispose of their litter responsibly.
DDC celebrates the majority of residents who do care and take pride in their district by doing the right thing and putting their litter in the bin, and fully appreciates the efforts of local voluntary groups who offer their continued help.
For residents who are happy to roll up their sleeves to help the environment, whilst getting out into the fresh air and meeting others, the council can provide all the necessary equipment for you to organise your own litter pick and will arrange to pick up any rubbish that is collected.
This year, DDC’s Environmental Crime and Community teams are also planning to tour the district to support the campaign and will be encouraging residents to come along to our outdoor pop-up events. They will be on hand with litter picking equipment, fun games to educate younger visitors and information to help residents reduce, reuse and recycle.
In addition, DDC has teamed up with our recycling, refuse and street cleansing contractor, Veolia, to host a design competition. Residents aged under 18 are being asked to get creative and design a poster that will encourage people to do the right thing and put their litter in the bin. The winning design will appear on two of Veolia’s vehicles that are used in our district. There will be a £50 voucher for the winner and £25 vouchers for two runners up.
Cllr Martin Bates, Cabinet member for Transport, Licensing and Regulatory Services, said: “Joining the Great British Spring Clean is a great way to meet new friends outdoors, while making the district a cleaner place to live. The council is delighted to be supporting this event and is looking forward to going out in the community and meeting our residents.
“Litter is an ongoing problem for which we are continuously looking to find solutions. This campaign will highlight the work of the council, our contractors and regular volunteers and will highlight the continuous work that takes place behind the scenes to ensure a cleaner district that we can all be proud of.”
David Fitzgerald, General Manager for Veolia South East, said: “Our street cleaning teams work hard all year round, and we are delighted when residents join the effort to keep Dover’s community clean and safe. We are proud to be partnering with Dover District Council to encourage young residents to correctly and safely dispose of their litter. We hope that by displaying the winning entry of the Do the right thing competition on the side of our collection vehicles, we will inspire more residents to take pride in their community, and make Dover an even greener and cleaner place to live.”
David Fitzgerald
For more information about the campaign, including terms and conditions for the design competition, please visit www.dover.gov.uk/GBSC