Picking up a record! Number of litter volunteers backing the Mail’s Great British Spring Clean overtakes last year’s 563,000, as The Co-op gets on board
- Co-operative Group is encouraging all its staff to join drive to clean up Britain
- Company is donating 8,000 hours of paid staff time and hosting litter events
- Comes after the number of Great British Spring Clean volunteers hit 590,328
One of Britain’s biggest companies has thrown its weight behind the Great British Spring Clean – helping the number of volunteers to soar past last year’s total.
The Co-operative Group is encouraging all its 70,000 staff to join the drive to clean up Britain.
The company is donating 8,000 hours of paid staff time and hosting litter events across the country.
The incredible support comes after the number of Great British Spring Clean volunteers hit 590,328 – overtaking 2019’s final figure of 563,163 – with over a month of the campaign to go.
Clean sweep: Co-op chief executive Steve Murrells joins a band of Broadhurst primary school pupils armed with litter-pickers and bags in a Manchester park
Steve Murrells, chief executive of the Co-op, which includes food, insurance, legal services and funeral care divisions, wielded gloves and a litter picker in Manchester as he joined children cleaning up rubbish in Broadhurst Park, Moston.
Mr Murrells called on other companies to back the scheme.
He insisted: ‘This is such a great campaign because it doesn’t just mean less litter on the streets – it actually encourages communities to come together in looking after local spaces.’
He was joined by enthusiastic pupils from two Co-op-sponsored academy schools – Broadhurst primary and North Manchester secondary.
Jamie Metcalf, a teacher from north Manchester, said there was no shortage of volunteers to take part.
He added: ‘A lot of the young people do feel quite strongly about environmental issues and are keen followers of [Swedish teenage activist] Greta Thunberg.’
Joanna Alderson, of Broadhurst, said: ‘We’ve been litter picking for the last couple of years. The children work very hard and then go home and spread the message.
‘They are also good at telling people off if they catch them dropping litter!’ The Co-op’s backing for the Great British Spring Clean – run by Keep Britain Tidy – includes donating 8,000 hours of paid staff time for litter picks.
The company is also giving customers in its membership scheme the chance to win ‘the ultimate spring clean’ where staff will bring the kit and crew to clean up a nominated area.
Co-op staff are being encouraged to attend a number of litter picks, the biggest of which will involve 3,000 workers from its offices in Manchester on March 26.
The Great British Spring Clean – backed by the Mail – officially kicks off on March 20 and runs until April 13. Organisers are hoping to push the final number of volunteers towards 1million.
