Croydon Council has joined forces with Keep Britain Tidy to launch the inaugural Great British September Clean after the original Spring Clean was cancelled due to Covid-19.
The national event kicks off from Friday September 11 until Sunday 27 September and calls on residents to take pride in their areas by helping to safely dispose of litter from the borough’s streets, parks and open spaces.
The event comes as Croydon’s very own Street Champions volunteering initiative goes from strength to strength. Following the ease of lockdown in July, more residents have registered to join the network – bringing the current number of champions up to 487. A surge of activity saw 23 litter picks carried out in August alone.
All events have followed – and will continue to follow – the government’s Covid-19 safety guidance which includes socially distanced litter picks of up to six people and providing volunteers with sanitised litter picking kits, wipes and gloves.
Last year a record number of 215 volunteers across Croydon took part in clean ups, securing Croydon the title of ‘Best Local Authority’ at the Keep Britain Tidy awards in 2019. This year, planned events include The Good Gym Croydon group litter picking Norbury Park and the Friends of Park Hill cleaning up around the water tower in the park.
“During lockdown we welcomed more people than ever to our parks and open spaces and it is clear that our residents truly value and appreciate these. With the number of registered Street Champions on the rise, I’m extremely proud of how proactive and community spirited Croydon’s residents are. This is exactly what the Street Champions initiative is about, and the Great British September Clean is the perfect opportunity to show how great things can happen when we all work together.”
Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader – Clean Green Croydon
If you are interested in organising a litter pick in your area for a group of up to six people then please email champions@croydon.gov.uk notifying of the location, time and date you are planning to run the event in.
Volunteers are reminded that government guidance on safety measures may be subject to change so please consider the latest government advice before carrying out an event.
