Tower Hamlets Forum litter pick volunteers
Dover District Council has thanked residents, businesses, schools and local clubs who took part in the Great British Spring Clean from 28 May until 13 June. Hosted by Keep Britain Tidy, and supported by local authorities and litter picking groups across the country, the national campaign has achieved its #MillionMileMission pledge.
Around 300 local volunteers took part in litter picks across Dover, Deal and Sandwich. They collected an impressive 400 bags of litter between them.
Along with plastic bottles, drinks cans, coffee cups, fast food cartons, and cigarette butts, this year was marked by the number of disposable facemasks now littering streets. The #PickDealClean group counted 117 in their round-up alone!
Some of the more unusual finds included a freezer and a shopping trolley, while a bike, plant pots and a shed roof had all been thrown into the River Dour.
The council recorded a two-minute video to support the campaign. Linda Ford of Pick Deal Clean, said: “(Litterpicking) is important to me because it’s about being part of your community. We don’t want our children and our grandchildren to grow up in a world where there’s litter everywhere.”
Nick Kenton, DDC’s Cabinet member for Regulatory Services, said: “We are delighted with the level of support that we have received from the community this year. The weather was good, many local residents, clubs, groups and businesses took part and we sincerely thank everyone who helped.
“Everyone can play a role in keeping our streets, parks and open space litter free. The council spends £1.5 million a year on street cleansing and in the coming months, we’ll continue to educate and encourage those who drop litter in the district to consider the impact it has on others, and to change their behaviour. For those who continue to drop litter, they can expect to receive more ‘on the spot’ fines in the future.”
Community members who would like to litter pick regularly can sign up to the Council’s Community Caretaker scheme. For more information, visit www.dover.gov.uk/communitycaretakers
Posted on 17 June 2021