YOUNG children in Westbury are spearheading a campaign to rid the town of litter and dog fouling, as they ask local people to help look after their town.
With the start of a new year, they want the people of Westbury to make it their New Year’s resolution to take their litter home, pick up after their dog, and make Westbury a more pleasant place to live.
Seven-year-old Annabel Cunningham, of Westbury Leigh, says that people should feel “ashamed” when they leave litter around or fail to pick up after their dog. Annabel addressed the meeting of Westbury Town Council on Wednesday 19th December to raise the issue. She would like to see more litter picks organised, more bins, but most of all would like to see people change their habits and stop littering.
She said, “Westbury could be a much better place to live. The way it looks is the way it’s treated. If the town looks bad it is treated badly. If it looks good it is treated with respect and treated well.”
Annabel also says there is also a big problem with people picking up after their dog, but leaving the bags in hedgerows.
Last year, 11-year-old Jamie Harper received the Young Person’s Civic Award for his years of litter picking on his route to school and his dedication to recycling and helping the environment. He also organised a litter pick in May to get the town tidy for the Diamond Jubilee, and was recognised in the Daily Mail for his efforts. He is now supporting the national ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign.
Jamie, who has been litter picking on his way to and from school for approximately three years said, “I think it’s important to make Westbury look more tidy, and look better.”
‘Bin three bits of rubbish
a day, and keep the
blight of litter away’
The Rev Margaret Davies accompanied Annabel Cunningham to the meeting of Westbury Town Council on Wednesday 19th December, and spoke to support her. She is calling on people to lead by example, by taking their own litter and helping to tidy the town by picking up litter. Her philosophy, which she would like to see others adopt, is “Bin three bits of rubbish a day, and keep the blight of litter away.”
“I’m very keen on litter picking, and I would like to see a big effort in Westbury,” she explained. “We need a concerted effort in all our community, we really need to do something about this.”
Westbury Area Board is launching a poster campaign to tackle the problem of dog fouling. Their poster is designed to prick the conscience of dog owners and remind people that dog excrement should always be bagged and binned. It will also remind people that free ‘dog poo’ bags are available from the Westbury Town Council offices and the visitor centre in the High Street.
