Schools sign up to boost Don't Mess with Wiltshire litter campaign

Over 30 Wiltshire schools have signed up to take part in community litter picks, joining the Wiltshire Council campaign to reduce littering in county.

The recently launched Don't Mess with Wiltshire campaign focuses on littering in towns and parishes, plus litter hotspots such as laybys and on main roads such as the A36 and A303.

Schools in Wiltshire were encouraged to join up to the Great Big School Clean and organise litter collections with their pupils in their local area. Participating schools will be given a school litter pick kit containing children's litter pickers, hi-vis vests and gloves.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, Street Scene and Flooding, said: We currently spend more than £2m per year cleaning up litter across Wiltshire, particularly in rural areas and roadsides. Our new Don't Mess with Wiltshire campaign is as much about educating the public to dispose of their litter responsibly, as it is cleaning up the litter hotspots or prosecuting those found to be littering. Encouraging our children to take part in looking after their local environment is a great way to get the message across from an early age.

We will continue to carry out regular litter collections on the county's rural roads and verges, as well as the A36 and A303, but we also want continue to encourage others who wish to get involved and do their bit to improve their local landscapes to take part in or organise community litter picks.

Litter picking could take place as part of a daily walk or as part of a larger community clean up group. If we can encourage more people to help us in the fight against litter, we can spend money on other essential services instead.

Head teacher at St John's Catholic Primary School, Mrs Sessions, said,  One of the classes at St John's really enjoyed taking part in a litter pick last year as part of our Catholic Social Teaching week where each class took on a different social action project.  When we shared news of the campaign with the children, they were keen to get involved again to do their bit to reduce litter and be stewards of their environment. This time the whole will be involved and will be led by our school council, 'Helping Hands'.

There are still opportunities for schools to sign up to the Great Big School Clean and those wishing to do, or people looking for more information or support with a community litter pick can contact the Streetscene Community Engagement Manager at wiltshirehelpdesk@idverde.co.uk (opens new window)

To report litter hotspots in Wiltshire or to find out more about the campaign and how to get involved in a community litter pick, people should visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/litter.