MORE THAN 700 bags of litter were collected by city council staff and volunteers during the Great British Spring Clean.
The nationwide campaign from Keep Britain Tidy ran from 13-29 March and saw council teams working alongside local volunteers to tackle litter in parks, neighbourhoods and waterways.
Across 13 organised sessions, the Leicester Environmental Volunteers collected 744 bags of litter, along with 928 bulky and large discarded items, helping to make a visible difference to the city’s open spaces.
The council’s team of city wardens and other council services also hosted their own litter‑picking sessions during the two‑week campaign, extending the reach of the clean‑up activity across the city.
Mollie Page, environmental engagement manager at Leicester City Council, said: “It’s been a fantastic collaborative effort between council staff and volunteers. We’ve had great support from our award‑winning parks amenities team, park rangers, city wardens and senior managers, who joined a session aboard our specially adapted Kingfisher litter-picking boat.”
The Great British Spring Clean has also provided the launchpad for a new weekly Tuesday morning community litter pick in St Matthews, giving residents a regular opportunity to get involved in caring for their local area. The litter pick takes place from 9.30am-12pm on Tuesdays – although there’s no obligation to litter-pick for all that time – and it meets outside St Matthews Library in Malabar Road.
The first session brought together council housing staff, city wardens, the eco‑schools team, the South Leicestershire Litter Wombles and local Wycliffe ward councillor Cllr Aqbany - and in just one street, the group collected 30 bags of litter, while also chatting with residents about the importance of keeping neighbourhoods clean and encouraging more people to take part.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who is responsible for waste and recycling, said: “Congratulations and thanks go to our hard‑working teams and volunteers for achieving such a great result during the Great British Spring Clean, even though it’s a shame that this work is needed. Everyone has a responsibility to dispose of waste properly and look after their neighbourhoods and open spaces.
“Community litter picking is a great way for people to socialise, make friends and feel more connected to where they live, so I’m really pleased to see these regular sessions setting up in St Matthews. We know that decent, well-kept and safe communal areas are very important to our residents, which is why we contribute over £1m annually to the estate wardens service – a team of 18 staff who work on housing estates across the city clearing rubbish, fly tipping and maintaining the estates to keep them tidy.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with the Leicester Environmental Volunteers can find out more at www.leicester.gov.uk/volunteering
People are welcome to just turn up at the Tuesday morning litter picks in St Matthews, or email tenant-news@leicester.gov.uk or visit the local TARA office in Manitoba Road for more details.