A litter army took to the streets to tackle the waste blighting the country, 585,038 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to unite for Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean
Flora Blathwayt and friends tidying up the Thames
The Mirror wants to say a big thank you to to the 585,038 volunteers who rolled up their sleeves to unite for Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, filling an incredible 451,887 bags of rubbish to protect wildlife, beaches and green spaces to tackle the waste crisis blighting the country.
Nearly 70,000 students also took part in the biggest environmental mass action, which was supported by the Mirror and backed by PM Keir Starmer, Environment secretary Emma Renyolds, Labour MPs Mary Creagh and Angela Rayner, as well as celebrities including Springwatch presenter Megan McCubbin.
Among the incredible line-up of litter heroes was a collection of Rainbows, Brownies and Guides from Girlguiding Kidderminster, who joined forces to collect an incredible 7,788 pieces of rubbish. Armed with litter pickers and high-vis vests, the young volunteers showed not only teamwork, but real pride in their community, finding litter hidden deep in bushes, untouched for decades, with items dating back as far as 2002 – before some of them were born.
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Karen Blanchfield, founder of Little Litter Warriors project said: “I couldn’t be prouder. The girls threw themselves into it with such enthusiasm and care. Seeing them come back with bags full of litter and huge smiles was a really special moment. You could see how proud they were of what they’d achieved together.”
Judi Herman and her Bedlington Terrier, called Biba, also known as the Litter Hound, took to the streets around her local synagogue in Northwood, north west London. Her late husband Steve bought his and hers litter pickers in lockdown
Other volunteers include mosques Karimia Institute, Fiveways Centre (Masjid Al-QUBA Sherwood) and Green Academy Trust – part of the Nottingham Council of Mosques’ drive to tackle litter across the city. The “Bisma & Bilal ‘Bin it” initiative organised volunteer litter picks during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Judi Herman and her Bedlington Terrier, called Biba, also known as the Litter Hound, took to the streets around her local synagogue in Northwood, north west London. She said: “Ever since my beloved late husband Steve thought to buy his and hers litter pickers for our 45th wedding anniversary during the 2020 lockdown, I have been litter picking almost daily.”
There are also some fantastic projects being carried out to ensure rubbish collected is being reused. After attending a clean-up event, Flora Blathwayt was shocked to see the amount of rubbish being washed up on the shores of the Thames. She has now turned her hobby from trash into cash – leading to the start of Washed Up Cards, a small business born in the pandemic.
A collection of Rainbows, Brownies and Guides from Girlguiding Kidderminster, who joined forces to collect an incredible 7,788 pieces of rubbish
She said: “I decided to make my sister, who for a long time has been living plastic free, a card using bits of plastic for her wedding. I had so much fun making it that I started sending more for friends and family. We now sell handmade cards decorated with plastic we collect that help spread a message of goodwill, hope and care for the planet we live in. We can’t all do everything, but Washed Up Cards helps you discover the little things you can do to make the world a slightly better place.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “The work that litter heroes up and down the country do during the Great British Spring Clean is incredible. From personal litter-picking, to clean-ups with colleagues and everything in between, an army of people have brought to life our motto of living where you live. If you know a volunteer who went above and beyond to care for the environment during the Great British Spring Clean, please visit our website to nominate them for an award.”
*Visit Keep Britain Tidy to nominate
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