Spring into Action!
25 March 2009
Keep Britain Tidy is calling on residents the length and breadth of England to do their bit to improve the quality of their communities.
The 2009 Big Tidy Up is launched this week and is aiming to build on last year's success when it established itself as the country's biggest ever litter pick.
Since its launch in September 2008 more than 12,000 groups have registered and collected almost 24,000 bags of rubbish.
To get involved and register your clean-up event go to www.thebigtidyup.org. Your group will be sent a free kit to get you started.
A new nationwide survey found that the state of our streets and public spaces remains unsatisfactory.
Research also shows that littered environments can significantly affect residents' quality of life and act as a magnet to serious crimes making it all the more important that we get to grips with the problem.
To give people a helping hand, everyone who registers on the Big Tidy Up website at www.thebigtidyup.org will receive a special clean-up kit including bin bags, tabards, badges and posters.
From today thousands of litter picks will take place across the country involving neighbours, schools, the Women's Institute, businesses and many other organisations.
"England is a beautiful country but with a little effort it could be even better," said Phil Barton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy.
"The Big Tidy Up has been a huge success since its launch last year and has really caught the public mood.
"We all have the right to want the best possible environment for ourselves and our families and the Big Tidy Up gives everyone the chance to help achieve just that."