Take part in the Great British Spring Clean this March and April in Wiltshire

Wiltshire Council is encouraging local groups and organisations to take part in the Great British Spring Clean this year, from 25 March-10 April.

Groups across the county are urged to sign up on the Great British Spring Clean website and join in to help clean up the county from unsightly litter. Though please note that litter picks in the Salisbury area are not encouraged - here, the advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) remains 'if you didn't drop it, then don't pick it up'.

Litter picking equipment has been provided by Wiltshire Council to town and parish councils and local community groups across the county, so people should contact their local town or parish council see if they have any equipment to borrow and if they are hosting a clean-up event to support.

Where possible, volunteers should dispose of bagged waste in their usual household black bins or a public litter bin that has sufficient capacity.

For large events that could collect more than 10 bags black bags full of waste, the council can arrange single collection following the event. To arrange this, people should email streetscene@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) a minimum of 10 days before the event with as much information about the event as possible and contact details of the event organiser. Any large items or suspected fly-tips should be left where they are and reported to the council on the MyWilts app.

Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Transport and Waste, said: The Great British Spring Clean is a fantastic opportunity for our communities to get involved in making a difference in their area.

We have provided more than 1,500 litter pickers and 1,500 pairs of gloves to local town and parish councils, so people should go there to borrow the equipment for their event. They can also sign up on the Great British Spring Clean website, so others can join in on the picks in their community.

It would also be great if people shared photos of their events on social media using the hashtag #GBSCWilts - and we'll share the best.

We'd ask that groups in the Salisbury area adhere to the latest UKSHA advice and not take part in litter picks; but people can get involved in every other area of the county to help keep Wiltshire clean.

I hope that community groups from around the county can take part and help to keep Wiltshire beautiful.

For the Salisbury area, a UKHSA spokesperson said: As a precaution, UKHSA continues to advise the public not to pick up any items. The advice remains 'if you didn't drop it, then don't pick it up'.

People can register their event on the Great British Spring Clean website at www.keepbritaintidy.org or find out more at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community-environment-great-british-spring-clean.