Saturday, 23 March 2019 13:52

Anti-litter spring clean-up

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Nanna Blomquist preparing for a spring clean-up of High Barnet litter Nanna Blomquist preparing for a spring clean-up of High Barnet litter
Plans for a spring clean-up of litter has attracted hundreds of promises of support after mother-of-three Nanna Blomquist launched a Green Beings High Barnet community organisation to campaign for greater environmental awareness.

Volunteers are lining up to join the group’s first drive to collect litter, taking place on Saturday 23 March (assemble at 12noon in Church Passage outside the parish church).

Barnet Council is providing the Green Beings with 200 plastic rubbish sacks and an appeal to raise funds to purchase high-visibility vests for the children who join in is being organised via the group’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/greenbeingshighbarnet

Two of the target areas for the clean-up are the litter-strewn roads and grass verges around High Barnet tube station and the access roads and car parks around the perimeter of Barnet Hospital.

Ms Blomquist, a High Barnet mother of three children aged between four and nine, said she decided a couple of months ago to see if it was possible to organise local working parties to pick up litter.

She looked at the work of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign and decided to form a Green Beings community group for High Barnet.

“I was apprehensive to start with, but the support has been overwhelming, and hundreds of people are promising to help.

“Barnet Council have promised 200 plastic bags and told us to leave them in Church Passage for collection when we finish at 2pm.

“We are now trying to raise money through our crowd funding page on Facebook so that we can buy some high-visibility vests, especially for the children, so as to ensure they’re safe.”

Ms Blomquist says she will map out the areas where litter picking is most needed but areas like roads and verges around Barnet Hospital and High Barnet tube station were “crying out” for a spring clean.

If the clean-up goes well and attracts the support that has been promised, she hopes to organise another litter-picking afternoon at the end of the summer.

1 comment

  • Comment Link Monday, 25 March 2019 12:15 posted by Nanna Blomquist

    Dear all,

    I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you! Thanks to the hard work of almost 90 of you, Moxon Street, the Library area, the Underground passage, Barnet Hill, Wellhouse Lane / Bus terminus, Byng Road playing fields and many many other streets and areas are now unrecognisably LITTER-FREE. It was a fantastic afternoon and I enjoyed meeting and chatting to you all. The interest and support from passers-by was also incredibly encouraging, and we're looking forward to an even more successful Clean-Up in the early Summer. Thank you also to MP Theresa VIlliers and Cllr David Longstaff for taking the time to get stuck in.

    Please post any photos you have to our Facebook and Instagram pages (greenbeingshighbarnet). Please also share our page far and wide.

    A few of you also asked for details of our crowdfunding page, which has so far helped pay for the high viz vests and some litter pickers. Thank you to anyone who donated! We would like to grow the fund further, however, so we can print flyers and other marketing material for future events and initiatives, and to help us take our mission forward, the next of which will tackle the massive and disgusting issue of cigarette butts plaguing the streets and parks of High Barnet. Your donations, however small, will be greatly received.

    https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/for-a-greener-cleaner-and-better-high-barnet

    Thank you again for your support and hard work. Together will make High Barnet a more sustainable, greener, cleaner and better place to live.. :)

    Best wishes

    Nanna
    Green Beings High Barnet

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