An army of volunteers is being drafted in Knowsley and St Helens as the boroughs are taking part in Great Britain’s Spring Clean 2018.
The campaign aims to bring people across the country together to clear up rubbish and discarded items, calling its participants ‘Litter Heroes’.
Councillors from both the Green and Labour parties are helping to organise clean-up projects in Prescot, while the Remix Volunteering organisation is planning events in St Helens.
Prescot will be holding a “flag it and bag it” day to help tackle the amounts of dog fouling in the local parks. This is where teams will form lines and walk around the green spaces, while planting a flag in the location of any dog dirt.
Kai Taylor, lead candidate of Knowsley’s Green Party, told JMU Journalism: “Once all of the muck has been flagged, a picture will be taken and will be used to help raise awareness of how bad the dog-fouling problem is.
“The picture will be placed on the gates as you enter the parks to show residents and try to encourage people to pick up after their dogs.”
YouTube: Gem Jones
The Remix Volunteering group is coordinating a clean-up of Chain Lane park in St Helens. This litter-pick will be funded by the #IWill Social Action Fund and the Community Foundation of Merseyside.
Tom Glynn, who works for the organisation, told JMU Journalism: “The park is unsightly as there is so much litter within the bushes, grass and trees surrounding the main path and field.
“A lot of residents use the park for dog walking, but it is no longer a place where children and young people build dens, explore the forest and have fun. It is too unsafe and unsightly.”
The group is offering refreshments and a free raffle for anyone willing to take part. Volunteers will also receive a certificate of thanks with skills gained from the day to provide evidence of personal specifications for jobs.