Nottingham is once again joining in with Keep Britain Tidy’s
national community clean-up campaign with
a Big Spring Clean to show people that collecting small bags of litter in their
communities can make a big difference.
Participating in the Big Nottingham Spring Clean – open to individuals,
schools, community groups and businesses – is the perfect opportunity for those
who want to have a go at litter picking. During the pandemic, more Nottingham
residents have stayed close to home and litter-picking grew in popularity as a pastime.
Nottingham now has an incredible 5,800 Clean Champions, with adults, kids and even family pets taking part! Clean Champions choose when and where to litter pick, getting exercise and time outdoors either alone, with family or friends or in a group.
Getting involved is easy, residents can:
- Visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/springclean to find a litter pick to join in with near them
- Get a FREE litter picking kit at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cleanchampions
- Visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/reportit to report fly-tips, dog poo, broken glass, needles, graffiti and other clean issues to the council to be cleaned up.
Nottingham City Council leader, Councillor David Mellen, said: “Over the years we have had a fantastic response to the Big Spring Clean, and I would like to thank everyone who’s been involved for all for their time and effort.
“We all want to see positive changes to where we live – cleaner streets, less dog poo, fly-tipped rubbish and graffiti. Our wonderful residents have always gone above and beyond in their efforts to assist our fantastic street cleansing staff in making sure Nottingham is a city to be proud of.
“I would encourage all community groups, sports clubs, schools and other groups to consider organising a Big Spring Clean in their area over the coming weeks.”
Councillor Rosemary Healy, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Cleansing Services said: “Littering is not acceptable. We know that a very small minority of people litter, but it has such an impact on our streets, parks and on our wildlife. Our Community Protection Officers hand out £75 to litter bugs daily. That being said, I want to take this moment say a massive thank you to the thousands of volunteers who have given up their time to make their local communities better by becoming Clean Champions.
“It is heart-warming to see so many people come to take pride in their local area.”
Nottingham Clean Champion Sandie Taylor said: “I moved to Nottingham city just before lockdown and became a Clean Champion soon after. We don’t have a local park or green space, so I concentrate on cleaning my nearby streets. My efforts have been noticed by lots of people, and I once had an orchid delivered to my door from the local church community as a thank you for keeping their grounds clean.
“I always pick up any screws I see in the road, as I’ve fallen victim to more than one punctured car tyre before, and I once bizarrely found a pair of shoes and some chef’s whites stuffed behind a grit bin.”