THE Big Tidy Up takes place this weekend as people of all ages aim to make the island cleaner.
The all-island challenge is once again being organised by Douglas Council, who launched the challenge in 2009.
Local authorities across the island have been urged to take part and join in with the many volunteer groups, charitable organisations, businesses, private individuals and schools supporting the campaign.
Over the last two years around 3.7 tonnes of litter has been collected from around the island, the event has attracted more than 1,000 volunteers.
Tomorrow (Friday, September 28) school children will be kitted out with protective high visibility tabards, gloves, litter picks, brushes and bags.
The schools taking part are Marown, Foxdale, St Thomas’s, Anagh Coar, Bunscoill, Ashley Hill, Willaston, Ballakermeen High School, Fairfield Junior and St Ninian’s High School.
As the campaign’s lead body, the council will not only provide the kits to take part in the litter picks, it will also collect all litter gathered and bagged in the borough of Douglas.
As much of the collected litter as possible will be recycled.
On Saturday, September 29, the following organisations are taking part, they are Douglas Council members, Douglas Rotary Club, Maughold Commissioners, Patrick Commissioners, Friends of the Earth, a team of army cadets, Derbyhaven Residents’ Association and Beach Buddies.
Bill Dale, who cleans beaches between four to five times a week, is the founder of Beach Buddies, which on average cleans four beaches a week, producing around 10 bin bags of litter.
The group wants to start cleaning up litter from glens, walkways and the coastal footpaths too.
A typical Big Tidy Up session will last in the region of two hours. Participating groups will receive certificates recognising their support at a reception later in the year hosted by the Mayor of Douglas, Councillor David Ashford.
Beach Buddies’ volunteers clean beaches throughout the island on a regular basis.
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