Litter heroes of Adur and Worthing at the ready for the Great British Spring Clean  

Communities across Adur and Worthing are being encouraged to spruce up their neighbourhoods as part of the Great British Spring Clean.

An annual event organised by Keep Britain Tidy, the nationwide campaign brings people together to clean beaches, parks, towns and rural areas.

The spring clean is being backed by Adur & Worthing Councils’ Environmental Services department, who are supporting a number of clean ups across both areas in the coming days.

The events underpin the Councils’ continued efforts to raise awareness about the impacts of littering across the area.

The first public litter pick event locally has been organised by the Friends of Brooklands Park this Sunday (February 25) from 10am to 12pm.

Further community-led events are also planned in Shoreham, Fishersgate and various parts of Worthing with hundreds of people expected to attend.

To tie with the national initiative, Adur & Worthing Councils will also be posting a series of material on social media using the hashtag #AWSpringClean aimed at encouraging people to get involved.

Lead councillors spoke passionately about why it was so important to them to keep the unique environment in Adur and Worthing clean from waste.

Councillor Emma Evans, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said: “I love the natural environment and hate to see it ruined by careless littering.

 

“The recent publicity around plastics in the oceans has highlighted what we are doing collectively to our planet, so I’m delighted that local residents are making a difference by taking care of their beach.

 

“I think it’s great that Adur residents are really getting on board with the Great British Spring Clean.”

 

Councillor Diane Guest, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Environment said: “I love the beach! And I’m really pleased that Keep Britain Tidy are focusing on our beaches as well as our parks and towns.

 

“Here in Worthing we are lucky enough, not only to have the coast, but Brooklands park and lake full of seabirds and wildlife. It’s important that we keep this park tidy so that the public can enjoy it and the wildlife can thrive.”

Events, which are being led by various community groups, include:

·        Durrington - Friday March 2 from 10am

o   Meet in Longcroft Park in Whitebeam Road, Worthing

·        Great Storm Clean Up in Worthing town centre - Saturday March 3 from 2pm

o   Meet at Storm House in Union Place, Worthing

·        Shoreham Beach - Sunday March 4 from 10am

o   Separate groups will start at Widewater Lagoon and Shoreham Fort before meeting at Beach Green

·        Action Eastbrook Litter Pick lead Spring Clean of Fishersgate - Monday March 5 from 10am

o   Meet at Eastbrook Manor Community Centre

·        Worthing councillors will lead a beach spring clean on Saturday March 10

o   Meet at the end of Grand Avenue, Worthing - 11am

First up is the Brooklands event, which is supported by the recently-established Friends of Brooklands, and has been organised by ward councillor Callum Buxton.

Speaking ahead of the event, Cllr Buxton said: “With significant work currently underway on the lake and some exciting plans for the wider park in the pipeline, we are really keen to engage the local community.

“Brooklands has been a fantastic community space and with Worthing Borough Council’s significant investment towards the work, a simple first step for the community to get the park back on track is making sure we take care of the green space and keep it clean for residents and wildlife too.”