Mansfield, Australia, joins with English counterparts in Clean up Mansfield Day

The award-winning event is set to be even more successful than last year when more than 200 bags of rubbish were collected in just one day by more than 30 groups across Mansfield District. A group also took part in Mansfield Park, South Australia.

The initiative, which won a community award from the national Keep Britain Tidy campaign, aims to make Mansfields everywhere the cleanest places in the world.

Rebecca Kirley, Waste Management Officer in Mansfield Victoria, Australia, is driving efforts in the community which is north east of Melbourne.

“We will be encouraging everyone to pick up at least one piece of litter during the day,” she said.

“Community groups and schools will also be supported to clean up their patch.

“Council staff and staff from other large organisations will be out on the day, doing their bit to make Mansfield spic and span.”

KESAB Environmental Solutions, in Mansfield Park, a suburb of Adelaide, Australia, which took part last year has signed up again. The organisation works to inspire the South Australian community to restore, preserve and improve the environment.

Kelly Quirk, Director of the Ann Short Turner Community Centre, Mansfield, in Missouri, USA, said the initiative was a great idea and several groups would be taking part on Saturday 5th April.

Closer to home, Wynndale Primary School, Vision West Notts College and the Corner House Care Home, will be taking part in Mansfield, along with Eastlands Junior School, of Meden Vale and John T Rice Infant and Nursery School, Heatherley Primary, and ASDA in Forest Town.

Residents, schools, businesses and community groups are encouraged to get creative and take part in projects that will improve the environment in the long-term. This can include planting trees or flowers, making and putting up birdboxes and taking part in environmental awareness-raising activities.

Last year school pupils created wildflower meadows, designed litter bins, wrote litter bug poems and decorated fabric shopping bags.

Coun Philip Shields, Portfolio Holder for the Environment at Mansfield District Council, said: “The clean up day aims to bring people from across the globe together to improve their local environment. We hope this one-day event will leave a lasting legacy by creating long-term improvements and encouraging residents to take more pride in their community throughout the year.”

To sign up visit www.mansfield.gov.uk/cleanup