Take part in the Great British Spring Clean from 13 to 29 March

One bag makes a BIG difference  

Could you help us make a difference in your local community? 

Dover District Council (DDC) is once again proud to support Keep Britain Tidy’s nationwide Great British Spring Clean (GBSC) campaign — and we’re calling on local residents, schools, community groups and businesses to help us as we continue to work together to tackle litter in our district. 

The annual spring litter picking event officially begins next Friday, 13 March, and calls on everyone to come together and help to make Britain cleaner and greener. 

We’re inviting volunteers from across the district to get involved by pledging to collect at least one bag of litter. Every bag makes a visible impact, and together we can help keep our towns, villages, parks and coastlines cleaner, greener and more enjoyable for everyone. 

Now in its eleventh year, the Great British Spring Clean encourages people everywhere to show pride in their local area by rolling up their sleeves and taking positive action. As long-standing supporters of the campaign, DDC will once again be organising and coordinating events, and providing practical support to those who want to take part. 

The Council currently spends around £1.5 million each year on street cleaning and regularly runs public campaigns promoting responsible waste disposal — including picking up after your dog, using local bins and taking litter home. Despite these efforts, we continue to see the impact of littering across the district. 

That’s why the support of our residents and volunteer groups is so important — and we remain incredibly grateful for the dedication of those who give their time to help protect and improve their local environment. 

Residents can: 

• Join one of our pop-up litter-picking events happening across the district (see details below and on our website).

• Host their own community litter pick with equipment supplied by DDC. The council will arrange to pick up any rubbish that is collected. 

DDC will be: 

• Hosting a two-week litter picking tour across the district with our Community Roots van, supported by DDC’s environmental and community teams. Visitors can take part in litter picks, get involved in their local community and receive practical tips on reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling. 

• Teaming up with our refuse, recycling and street cleaning contractors, Veolia Environmental Services to run a design competition for under-18s. Young residents will be invited to create a poster for a Veolia vehicle, encouraging others to “do the right thing and put their litter in the bin.” 

• Opening nominations for the fifth annual REACH Awards (Recognising Environmental and Community Heroes), celebrating those who go above and beyond to protect our district. 

Cllr Gordon Cowan, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, said: “Litter is something we all notice when we’re out enjoying our local area, and we continue to work hard with all our partners to tackle this. The Great British Spring Clean campaign allows us to highlight this issue, while recognising the ongoing efforts of the council, Veolia and the many volunteers who give their time to keep our area clean and welcoming. 

“By taking part in the Great British Spring Clean, we can show the powerful difference we can make when we work together.” 

More information on the GBSC campaign can be found at www.dover.gov.uk/GBSC and on the Keep Britain Tidy website www.keepbritaintidy.org