Over the last week various community groups, organisations and schools have taken part in the “Clean For The Queen” campaign.  A National initiative to clear up the streets, parks and hedgerows of Britain in time for Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday, which will be officially celebrated in June 2016.  Food packaging, plastic bottles, takeaway meals, cigarette butts and many more discarded items all contributed to a growing menace that affects our wildlife, streets, countryside and sense of pride.

Aylesbury Town Council in partnership with Aylesbury Vale District Council and Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust have coordinated litter picking groups from across the community who have cleared the streets and pavements around their homes and schools. Suitable equipment was provided and bag collections arranged to make it as easy as possible for lots of groups to take part.

Pupils from Thomas Hickman School and Bearbrook School together with staff from Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust collected 92 bags full of litter between them alone.

Aylesbury Lions, Aylesbury Town WI, Rotary Club of Aylesbury Hundreds, Haydon Hill Community Association, Aylesbury High School, Town Councillors and McDonald’s High Street and Drive Thru all took part and more than 170 bags of street litter were collected around the Parish of Aylesbury Town.

More groups, such as Aylesbury College and 1st Aylesbury Scout Group and Cubs, will be doing their bit over the next two months, so if you are still interested in taking part and looking to make a difference to your community than get in touch with Aylesbury Town Council.  You can either take part with a group, your neighbours or even as an individual.  Everyone can make a difference by picking up litter. Of course the message in the first instance is “Please put your litter in bins provided or take it home with you”.

Aylesbury High School pupils