COMMUNITY groups are combining their efforts in a bid to tidy up Teesdale.
The mission to rid the streets of rubbish coincides with Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean.
In Barnard Castle, the Rotary’s Satellite e-Club is joining with the TCR Hub, The Witham and the volunteer group known as The Workers for a Big Keep Teesdale Tidy, on Tuesday, June 1, from 2pm to 4pm.
They will be joined by teenage anti-litter campaigner George O’Brien and Connelly’s Toy Shop, who last month unveiled plans for a litter pick equipment loan hub at the store, on The Bank.
Volunteers are welcome to join in the litter pick and are asked to meet at 2pm prompt in the garden at the back of The Witham, where the Anti-Litter Bug team will give a brief introduction to the use of equipment, advise where to pick and co-ordinate activity to ensure people head to different areas.
With equipment available to borrow, litter picking volunteers will be asked to sign a disclaimer and then head out to collect what they can find in Barnard Castle and a few known spots of littering in the surrounding area.
Sarah Gent, TCR Hub family activity co-ordinator and member of the Rotary e-Club, said: “Everyone is welcome to come and join in the Keep Teesdale Tidy litter pick.
“We are awaiting confirmation of the loan of equipment from Durham County Council which will help bolster our litter picking power on the day.
“Inspired by George and the anti-litter bugs, we are all very keen to reduce the amount of litter in Barnard Castle and beyond. You can also litter pick at other times – thanks to George and Anti-Litter Bugs, with the support of GSK, there will be more equipment available to borrow from Pauline Connelly at Connelly’s Toy Shop very shortly.”
To alert the litter pickers to any areas that need particular attention, email details to Ms Gent at [email protected].
Meanwhile, members of Etherley Parish Council are encouraging residents to carry out their own voluntary litter picks to coincide with the Keep Britain Tidy campaign, which runs for the first two weeks of June.
The parish council normally teams up with Toft Hill Primary School for a litter pick to coincide with the Litter Free Durham initiative, but due to the Covid restrictions this did not go ahead this year and at last week’s annual parish meeting, members agreed not to arrange an organised event this year.
However, equipment will be made available from the community centre in Toft Hill for people who wish to carry out their own litter pick.
Clerk Alison Overfield told the meeting that throughout the Covid crisis, fly tipping had been a problem in and around the villages, especially when the tips were closed.
However, she praised the response of residents to help tidy up.
