Over 100 bags of litter collected in Braintree district

Eastlight Community Homes customers from Braintree, Witham and Halstead took part in spring cleans which spruced up seven estates.

As part of the national Keep Britain Tidy, Great Spring Clean 2021 campaign, Eastlight worked in partnership with Braintree District Council to organise litter picking events in areas including White Horse Avenue and Ramsey Road in Halstead; Forest Road, Humber Road and the Templars Estate in Witham, and Stubbs Lane and the Glebe Estate in Braintree.

Not only were local residents invited to grab a litter picker and get involved, they could also report fly tips to Eastlight and Braintree District Council to get them removed. More than 100 bags of rubbish were collected in total, as well as a skip-full of waste at each event.

Mary Beckett, an Eastlight volunteer resident from Witham who took part in the event on Forest Road, said: 

“It was brilliant! It wasn’t really hard work, although there was quite a bit of walking. Lots of people who saw us came out to tell us what a great job we were doing, which was very encouraging.”

Mark Garnham, an Eastlight Estate Co-ordinator, said: “My team and Braintree District Council organised the events as a great way to safely bring our customers together and help them to be proud of where they live. Thank you to Braintree District Council and the local residents who took the time to get involved or encourage us.”

Councillor Wendy Schmitt, Cabinet Member for Environment at Braintree District Council, said: “We are pleased to be supporting the Great British Spring Clean again this year, and all our fantastic volunteers and community groups who undertook litter-picking. They are setting a real example for how our communities have a role to play in keeping our district looking great.”