Torbay residents are being encouraged to get involved with litter picks and beach cleans as part of this year’s Great British Spring Clean.

Back for its eighth year, the Great British Spring Clean – which runs from 17 March to 2 April - is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign. 

Locally the following events are taking place:

• Saturday 25 March – Kitson Park Community Clean Up. Meet at 2pm at Kitson Park off Cadewell Lane (between numbers 63 and 64), Shiphay, Torquay TQ2 7ER. As part of the event from 2pm to 4pm you can get involved with:
• litter picking
• filling the planter in the Friendship Bench
• preparing and sowing the Pollinator Patch

Litter pickers and some tools provided – please bring gloves and hand tools if you have them. Event organised by Shiphay & Higher Chelston Community Partnership supported by SWISCo, Torbay Council and Torbay Community Partnership.

• Thursday 30 March – Beach clean and litter pick organised by SWISCo - meet at Beacon Cove, TQ1 2BJ at 10am – the beach clean and litter pick will take in Beacon Cove, Peaked Tor Cove and Daddyhole Plain, litter picking all the way, before walking back to our starting point for 12.30pm. You can join for the whole walk or for as much as you can manage.

Free tea and coffee will be provided – please bring a re-usable cup if you can. Litter pickers and bags will be provided. Under 16s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Please wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather and the task – the walk will be steep in places.

• Friends of Clennon Lakes are holding two events:
• Saturday 25 March, 9am to 10.30am: Community wild meadow seeding – everyone is welcome to come along and throw some prepared seed and sand over the prepared area of the memorial wildflower meadow at the top end of Clennon Playing Fields. Any donations will go toward the upkeep of the group and help pay for seed and sand.
• Sunday 2 April, 8.45am to 12pm: Join Friends of Clennon Lakes for a litter pick as part of their monthly working party.

For more information email hannah.worthington@swisco.co.uk or call 07747616075.

Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council, said: “We are delighted to once again be able to support the Great British Spring Clean – Torbay belongs to all of us and we can all do our bit to keep the Bay clean and green.

“Great British Spring Clean is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get involved with improving their local area. I regularly get involved with local litter picks and it’s a great way to get some exercise, meet other like-minded people in your community and do some good.”

Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture, said: “Why not join one of the organised litter picks or beach cleans, or if you are planning your own one you can also contact us to borrow litter picking kits and arrange collection of your rubbish at the end.”

More information

If you would like to organise a community litter pick, please get in touch via engagement@torbay.gov.uk. We can arrange loan of litter pickers, provision of rubbish bags, and organise collection of the waste afterwards. Please give as much notice as possible – and please note that if you need to borrow litter picking kits you would need to arrange in advance to collect litter pickers from our SWISCo site at Aspen Way in Paignton.

Further details on local beach cleans are on the Harbours website. 

You can find out more about the Great British Spring Clean on the national website. 

You can also make a ‘pledge to pick’ as an individual or as a group.