Dorchester Chamber members are being urged to spruce up the county town as part of the Great British Spring Clean this March.
Vice President Steve Bulley said: “Dorchester is the crown jewel of west Dorset and a town known for its environmental passion. We are urging our members to get involved and make our town look welcoming for the important summer season.”
Dorchester Town Council will be holding two community litter picks on the 23rd and 31st of March.
Every day, we all face the problem of litter. Pesky packaging, bottles, cigarette butts, and anything else that is abandoned can end up in our oceans and endanger the local wildlife. By picking up litter we can help to keep Dorchester’s spaces looking perfect. Help combat litter locally and making a difference in Dorchester by joining these picks!
The picks will start at 10am, meeting at the Borough Gardens bandstand, running until 12noon. The Town Council will be lending out litter pickers, gloves, and other equipment for volunteers to take around town to the areas that need the most love. They encourage anyone who can to attend, but those under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Connie Hollings, Development Assistant for Dorchester Town Council, says, “These picks are a great way for people to get involved in the community while doing a bit of good for the environment! We want everyone to love where they live and events like this show the spirit of locals here in Dorchester. Litter has an enormous impact on our beautiful area, every piece that gets picked up will make a difference. Come along and help us tackle the problem head-on.”
If you would like to take part in our litter pick or arrange your own pick, please contact Connie Hollings at Dorchester Town Council by emailing or call Connie on 01305 266861.
Dorchester Town Council has made it easier for people to get involved with local clean-ups. They have a large selection of litter picking equipment (both adult and child) available to loan to the public anytime. Are you a local group, business, school, family, or individual who wants to organise a litter pick? Dorchester Town Council can provide guidance on how to organise your own.
One of our councillors has taken the initiative to set up her own litter picking groups: one in Poundbury and one in Dorchester town centre, at Holy Trinity Church. Cllr Frances Hogwood and her members each have their own pickers, they all commit at least an hour a week and they help keep Dorchester clean all year round. Frances wants to encourage people to take advantage of the Town Councils’ pickers and set up their own local picks.
Cllr Frances Hogwood said: “Litter picking is fun as the group of Poundbury litter pickers will confirm – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You never quite know what interesting discoveries you might make and it’s also sociable: frequently people out walking will want to talk and that’s your chance to pass on the message about plastic pollution. One local firm takes part as part of their community work as well as promoting health and wellbeing through the exercise involved. The initial trigger to organise ourselves was environmental concern as most litter is plastic or plastic based and needs to be prevented from landing up in the sea or polluting the land. The reason we have an ongoing system is because the disgusting habit of litter dropping is an ongoing problem!”
For more general litter picking information and upcoming events head to Litter Free Dorset’s website (www.litterfreedorset.co.uk).
