Oxfordshire Tidy Ups continue after national campaign ends
September’s successful Big Tidy Up campaign saw hundreds of volunteers litter-pick Oxfordshire with the support of their local council through Oxfordshire Waste Partnership. The national campaign may have ended but the tidy ups haven’t stopped.
Oxfordshire councils continue to support community clean ups throughout the year by loaning litter-picking equipment and arranging collections. Last week South and West Oxfordshire District Councils assisted Oxford Citizen’s Housing Association (OCHA) with half-term tidy ups in Wallingford and Witney.
West Oxfordshire District Councillor David Harvey is keen to engage with residents groups across the district: “One of our council priorities is to enhance the environment in West Oxfordshire, so we’re happy to support any local groups wanting to make a difference in their community.”
Waste and recycling officer at South Oxfordshire District Council, Matthew Beesley helped out with a litter-pick in Coopers Piece, Wallingford where over fifteen youngsters turned up to help. “The children were really enthusiastic and did a great job,” Matthew said. “It’s really important that everyone follows these youngsters good example of looking after their local community.”
David Dodds, South Oxfordshire District Council’s member for environmental services, said: “It was great to see so many people getting involved and blitzing litter in the district during the Big Tidy Up in September. We can all carry on the good work by not dropping litter and picking up the rubbish left by other people. Cleaner streets and parks benefit us all and save taxpayers’ money. We’ll certainly be carrying on with doing our bit throughout the year, and we are also happy to help local groups to organise a rubbish clear-ups by providing equipment.”
In addition to litter-picking, OCHA encouraged their tenants to sort out the recycling from their homes and offered a collection of their bulky household waste. “In total we collected over six skips worth of waste” Mark Davies, resident involvement officer at OCHA said. “I think everyone who took part will have more awareness of litter in their local surroundings: I know I will!”
“I’m really glad the district councils supported our events. I’d encourage any groups wanting to coordinate a litter-pick of their own to get in touch with their local council”, Mark added.
