What's your view?
Spotting rubbish as you walk past a local beauty spot, children's playground, or even on the street can make your heart sink. Rubbish and flytipping ruin the picturesque look and feel of this beautiful county, and as a result, the Clean Kent Campaign was launched to return Kent to its usual glory. We ask you to help us improve our quality of life here in Kent.
Clean Kent is devoted to preserving Kent's beauty from urban estates and rural areas to the county's highways and byways. By organising a clean-up event you will not only be helping to keep the county clean, you will also be contributing positively to your local community.
To help you with your event, we've put together a few points for you to consider:
1. Location
Decide where you would like to do your litter pick; it could be a park, well-known beauty spot or your local high street! Try to choose a spot that will benefit from this activity.
2. Volunteers
You don't need a large group to start a clean-up. Get friends, family or groups from schools, clubs etc to get involved. Remember: small changes make a big difference!
3. Registration
You will need to complete a registration form before the event, available from Clean Kent. In this, you must also include details for the event organiser who will be responsible for the risk assessment and volunteers on the day.
4. Equipment
To organise a clean-up, you will need to ensure that the members of your team have access to the following:
- Hi-visibility jackets
- First aid kit
- Mobile phones
- Maps
- Rubbish sacks
- Gloves
- Litter pickers
5. Risk assessment
Having chosen a place for your clean-up, visit the site and carry out a risk assessment. The risk assessment is a careful examination of the possible risks that could cause harm to your volunteers.
If after your risk assessment, you find that the area carries too many risks for you and your group, choose an alternative location.
6. Volunteer briefing
Before you begin your clean-up, gather your volunteers together for a briefing. This should include:
- Health and safety risks
- The clean-up route
- First aid arrangements
- Meeting times and locations
7. Publicity
Clean-ups are excellent community events and can make great news stories. If you would like publicity for your event, please contact Clean Kent on: 0845 345 0210.
8. Be considerate
If you are working in the country or in open spaces, please be considerate to other people. Remember that these areas are home to woodland creatures, so avoid disturbing animals or damaging plants.
9. The result!
Make a note of the amount of rubbish collected and any unusual items found. It's also a good idea to record your clean-up, before and after. Lastly, have fun, be safe and good luck!
A booklet called "Your Guide to Organising a Clean-Up" is available for download.
For more information, contact Clean Kent on: 0845 345 0210
