Volunteers go Spring cleaning for the Queen in Thakeham village

Nick Herbert MP with Thakehams parish council and volunteers for the Clean for the Queen litter pick - picture submitted

Mr Herbert joined the cleaning team of parish councillors and residents at Thakeham Village Hall on Saturday morning (March 5).

‘Clean for The Queen’ is a nationwide campaign to clear up Britain in time for Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday to be celebrated in June. It is just one way in which people can show their dedication to The Queen and pride in their local community.

Distinctive purple bin bags were issued for the clean up weekend, with many of the bags being filled to the top by the end of the litter picking session.

The Thakeham village litter pick was organised by the Parish Council, led by Cllr Norman Prince, and volunteers included the St Clair family, Caroline and John Instance, Fiona McConnachie and Dave MacEachern.

Mr Prince said: “The volunteer team did a great job. It’s a job that unfortunately needs doing every year, and we really appreciated the extra support for this event from Nick Herbert, the Horsham Street Scene and the ‘Clean for the Queen’ scheme.”

Mr Herbert said: “I think ‘Clean for the Queen’ is a great initiative and I was really pleased to join members of Thakeham Parish Council and other volunteers to help them pick up litter on the local roads.

“The amount of litter we collected from the verges was, frankly, appalling and most of it was fizzy drink bottles, crisp packets and fast food cartons. Doubtless it’s a minority who are throwing their rubbish out of their car windows but it remains selfish and unnecessary behaviour. I have long supported tougher action to tackle the scourge of litter, through a combination of education in schools, greater corporate social responsibility on the part of the companies which sell these products, and fiercer penalties for litterbugs.

“The disgusting job of picking up this litter shouldn’t fall to volunteers, but all credit to them for taking pride in their communities. I hope that more people will support ‘Clean for the Queen’ and other litter picking initiatives in our villages.”