I doubt if many people know but we are in the middle of this year’s Great British Spring Clean – an annual event aimed at encouraging us to clean up some of the litter blighting our land.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris recently joined some green-minded Keynsham pupils – taking on litter-picking duties – at Two Rivers Primary School.
The national litter-picking effort, organised by Keep Britain Tidy and backed by Mr Norris’s West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, runs until Sunday 2 April.
More than 440,000 bags of litter were collected in 2022’s Great British Spring Clean on streets, parks and more by Litter Heroes across the country. This year, Mayor Norris wants to go even further by setting a springtime challenge for all Bath and NE Somerset residents to pick up at least one bag of litter – or more – in their patch.

Some experts have already been drafted in – with Mr Norris rolling up his sleeves for a litter pick with the Keynsham Wombles and Two Rivers Primary School’s Eco School group this week – to set an example. He is calling on public-spirited residents to join the fight against the blight of litter by taking part in organised spring-cleaning events – or starting their own, either as a group or solo.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “We are all sadly aware of litter on our streets and green spaces but until you start picking it up, you don’t realise just how much there is! Campaigns like Great British Spring Clean make a big difference to our planet, and region. I urge all Bath and NE Somerset locals to come together and join me in the fight against litter that spoils our environment and harms our animals – think the thousands of pieces of microplastic that make their way into the ocean poisoning the stunning sealife there. We can stop this – one rubbish bag at a time. You will also be helping to make Bath and NE Somerset an even happier, healthier and more beautiful place to call home”.
Anyone can join the campaign. Visit www.gbspringclean.org and click ‘Pledge’. You can pledge as a group, individual or as a school.