The Big Spring Clean, Sandwell’s biggest mass-action participation environmental campaign, is back for the seventeenth year and this year it is called Sandwell Coronation Clean 2023.
Picture l-r: Sandwell Council Leader Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Sid Sidhu Environmental Social Value Officer Serco, Gemma Pratt Litter Watch, Jon Baggott Street Cleansing Operative Serco, Colin Gonzales Litter Watch, Nick Drew Service Operations Manager Serco, Ian Sloan Litter Watch, Lindsay Richmond (Vice Chair - Litter Watch), Claire Delaney (Environmental Education Officer - Litter Watch), Ian Jones (Chair Litter Watch).
This year organisers have rebranded the campaign, to coincide with the coronation and The Big Help Out as it correlates well with the King’s well-known interests in the environment, volunteering and the fact he has participated in litter picks himself.
Volunteers joined Friends of West Smethwick Park and the staff from Asda, Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury and Litter Watch today (Friday 12 May) at the first litter pick of the year at West Smethwick Park.
Sandwell Coronation Clean 2023 will take place from May to July and for anyone wishing to take part please contact Litter Watch on 0121 557 6970 or email at volunteer@tiptonlitterwatch.org
Organisers are asking residents, schools, businesses, everyone and anyone to pledge to pick up one or more bags of litter throughout the campaign.
The good news is that litter-picking is a simple action that anyone can do to make an immediate and visible difference to the area. It’s also a great way to exercise for free!
Leader of Sandwell Council, Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, said: “This campaign is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get out in the fresh air, socialise with old and new friends and make Sandwell a more attractive, tidier and more welcoming place to live and to visit.”
Tony Marston, Senior Contract Manager at Serco said: “This is a fabulous community project which I’m pleased we are able to support for another year. Our litter picking teams do great work week in, week out for Sandwell but sadly litter returns all too quickly. It will be fantastic to see many people giving their time to support the clean-up campaign – we all want to keep Sandwell tidy.”
Ian Jones, Chair of Litter Watch said: “We are delighted, once again, to be taking part in this award-winning campaign and working in partnership with Serco and Sandwell Council”.