Let's clean up our streets and parks - video

Rubbish? Sort It! was launched by the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust yesterday to urge more people to clean up their local area.

Pupils from Gorse Hill Community Primary School, St Barnabas CE Primary School and Regency High Special School in Worcester sprang into action with their litter-picking tools to kick off the event at the King George V playing fields, Brickfields.

The month-long campaign – now in its ninth year – will involve many more events over the coming weeks.

Laura Chapman, education and information officer for the trust, said: “Our aim is to clean up the whole of Worcestershire, not just Worcester city centre. We are trying to encourage everyone to get involved and by participating you can enter a competition we are running, details of which are on our website.

“But this isn't the only event we are running. There are seven events going on in Worcester city centre and the local area, and two in Malvern. We are really looking forward to as many people getting involved as possible.”

Over the next month, the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust, in association with Worcester City Council, Worcestershire Resource Exchange, Worcestershire County Council and the Helping Hand Company, is running a number of litter picking events.

Support will be offered to local communities which want to organise their own clean-up sessions.

At yesterday’s event, the Worcestershire Resource Exchange was on hand to show children how to make use of everyday items that would otherwise be thrown away.

Manager of the exchange Beth Holland said the children had enjoyed being creative and learning about rubbish and what was thrown away.

Sarah Carey, assistant headteacher of St Barnabas Primary School, said: “The kids have had a fantastic time. They have been litter picking here. We are very keen to get involved as we are an eco school and we feel its important to be part of the community, so we have had a great afternoon.”

For more information about the campaign and how you can get involved, call the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust on 01905 734980 or visit dwt.org.uk.

• If you’re taking part in the campaign we’d love to hear about it. Send details, including any before and after photographs, of your litter pick, to wenedit@ worcesternews.co.uk or telephone 01905 742244 and we’ll publish them in your Worcester News.