Breckland Council is encouraging people to pledge to do their bit to clear up the litter during the Great British Spring Clean 2022.

This year’s mass campaign, from 25 March to 10 April, calls on families, neighbours, friends and colleagues to join forces and pledge to pick a bag of litter from nearby streets, beauty spots and beaches in order to protect our vibrant communities and precious wildlife habitats. Breckland Council will be lending out litter pick equipment to local residents and groups who want to make a difference in their local community. The call to action comes after a survey showed eco action in the outdoors appears to be critical to the wellbeing of our communities, with significant benefits to people’s mental health.

In a survey of people who took part in 2021, 86% said volunteering helped improve their mood, up from up 79% in 2020. More than half (52%) agreed it helped them meet new people and make friends, and a staggering 91% agreed they felt more pride in their local area after participating. Almost everybody surveyed (98%) agreed the campaign reduced the impact of litter on wildlife and the natural environment. As well as polluting our streets, parks and rural hinterlands, litter harms wildlife, domestic pets and cattle.

Cllr Sarah Suggitt, Executive Member for Planning, Leisure and Contracts, at Breckland Council commented: “The Great British Spring Clean is an amazing opportunity for residents and businesses to come together, go out for a wonderful walk, and to help tidy up our beautiful towns, villages and countryside. Using our Community Shed Network, residents who don’t have the right litter pick equipment can borrow litter pick equipment and waste bags to ensure a safe and successful local litter pick.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “In the past two years our outdoor spaces and places have mattered to us more than ever before as more people have embraced them during the pandemic – and with this we know local authorities like Breckland Council have had an extra battle on their hands to keep them clean and green. During this year’s Great British Spring Clean, we are calling on everyone in Breckland area to harness the power of collective environmental action by taking on the #BigBagChallenge. Whether it’s pledging to pick just one bag, or more, we can all carry out small acts of kindness – for our planet and for ourselves.”

To borrow litter pick equipment in Breckland visit www.breckland.gov.uk/rubbish/litter-picking