Big Spring Clean 2014

Photo of  South Terrace residents participating in the Big Spring Clean 2013 

Message from Councillor Gerald Lee

Good morning everyone,

A date for your diaries.

LitterFreeDurham are planning the next Big Spring Clean for April 7th 2014 so hunt out your litter sticks, dust off the cob webs and apply a little oil......

As always thank you for supporting the Big Spring Clean. It seems that more people turn out every year to clean up their communities and until people stop dropping litter, the work will have to go on - even more so with the cutbacks of council services.

We did well in 2013, lots of school children turned out and I do feel that once someone has actually been around the streets to actually pick litter it stays with them and the likelihood that they drop the stuff reduces. We also managed to talk to over 1500 young people from 5 yrs old to 16 in school stressing the consequences to wildlife, the environment and to the pocket of dropping litter. I feel that education is so important for young people. If we are ever to change attitudes then we must start with the children when they are young and the anti-litter message should be given as part of the school curriculum as well as the Central Government supporting the actions.

If you can open the door to a school near you to allow me to talk to the children/students I will be pleased to do so even before the BSC starts.

To those of you who may have had people say that they are against voluntary litter picking as they pay Council Tax for the Council to do the work you could remind them that in 2007 in England alone we spent £584million and this figure has been increasing annually to over £1BILLION last year. Councils have been doing their best and unless we accept an an increase in Council Tax or a reduction in Front Line services to pay for the councils to spend even more time cleaning our roads then we either help them or we sit back and let the litter pile up........    

 I would be grateful if you could pass this 'e' mail onto any group or individual who you feel may be interested in taking part in the BSC as the more the merrier.

So than you once again for your support. We will be sending out the 'package' sometime in the New Year.

As Christmas is fast approaching, I wish you a Very Happy Christmas and a Joyful, Healthy New Year.

Best Wishes

Gerald