Photographed at the Awards ceremony left to right: DDC Environmental Protection and Crime Manager, Andrzej Kluczynski, Helen Charlton and Karoline Damstead from Pick Deal Clean and DDC's Cabinet member for the Environment, Cllr Martin Bates
Community group Pick Deal Clean’s outstanding achievements were recognised when they became deserving finalists in the #Litterheroes Award category at the Keep Britain Tidy Network Conference 2022.
DDC nominated the litterpicking group for their outstanding contribution to the local environment and their efforts to reduce litter.
Litterpicking volunteers in the district go above and beyond to support council street cleaning services, and work in partnership with DDC to make the district a better place to live.
Pick Deal Clean originally focused on litterpicking during the pandemic but have gone on to develop into so much more. Inspired by the arts, they support DDC’s shared goal of changing behaviour in respect to litter, and strive to reduce the act of littering in inventive and inspiring ways.
They have done this by:
- Raising awareness through specific events*
- Mobilising and inspiring community volunteering
- Creating an interactive google map for their regular pickers to take ownership of areas and ensure their efforts are spread across Deal
- Using social media to organise and coordinate litterpicking events
- Establishing a network of contacts to resolve issues raised by their members in their community
- Working with DDC and engaging in liaison meetings
Cllr Martin Bates, Cabinet member for the Environment, said: “I would like to congratulate Pick Deal Clean in reaching the final list for Keep Britain Tidy’s #Litterheroes Award. Not every hero wears a cape, in fact some come armed with a picker and a hi viz jacket and I sincerely thank Pick Deal Clean and all our other local individuals and community groups for the role they play in helping to keep the district clean.”
Helen Charlton, one of the Founding members of Pick Deal Clean, said: “Pick Deal Clean members are delighted to achieve Runner Up for this national award. We have been established for just under a year and this shows that by working together we can all make such a difference to where we live, making our local areas cleaner and more environmentally friendly for the benefit of everyone.”
The Great British Spring Clean is an annual event supported by DDC and local litter- picking volunteers to clear litter from streets, parks and beaches.
DDC is supporting this year’s Great British Spring Clean 2022 (25 March–10 April) with its theme: One bag makes a Big difference. Visit www.dover.gov.uk/GBSC
Notes to editors:
- The Keep Britain Tidy Network Conference attracts over 120 + decision-makers, including local authorities, housing associations and other major landowners, from across England. This event also brings together service and infrastructure suppliers, business leaders with innovative approaches to the environment, influential community leaders and senior figures from the charity sector, along with government ministers and senior civil servants.
- *Pick Deal Clean held pop-up awareness raising events including:
- A washing line put up in Deal town centre displaying clothing items found on litter picks, interspersed with anti-litter messaging
- A rainbow art display made from littered cigarette lighters at St Georges Church
- A display made out of crushed littered drink cans at the seafront
- A market stand ‘selling’ jars filled with cigarette butts that had been litter picked from the local streets
- Pick Deal Clean are on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pickdealclean and on Nextdoor Deal. Email: pickdealclean@yahoo.com
Posted on 23 February 2022