Children at Henry Green Primary School in Dagenham cleaned-up their local area as they took part in the Great British Spring Clean, the nation’s biggest mass action environmental campaign, led by Keep Britain Tidy.

The enthusiastic pupils made up of the school’s Green Team and School Parliament were joined by one of Keep Britain Tidy’s inspirational Litter Heroes, and local community volunteer, Emdad Rahman, who features in this year’s campaign.

Councillor Kashif Haroon, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Climate Change, and Valence Ward Councillors, Councillor Jane Jones and Councillor Syed Ghani also took part in the litter pick alongside officers from the Council’s Waste Minimisation Team. 

The group took 11 bags of litter off the streets, largely made up of cigarette butts, food wrappers and packaging, bottles and cans, instantly improving the appearance of the area.

Councillor Haroon commented: “It’s great to see the enthusiasm the children have for keeping their community clean and tidy, and I know so many local organisations, community champions and residents go above and beyond to keep the borough at its best.

“We’re absolutely committed to making Barking and Dagenham a cleaner, greener place to live, for us and for future generations, and we can achieve this if we work together. 

“Community litter picking brings people together, improves the local environment and sends out a strong message that as a community we will not tolerate littering or mess.

“I’d like to thank the staff and pupils at Henry Green Primary School, and all our community volunteers for their hard work.’

Matt Murphy, Headteacher at Henry Green Primary School, said: “It's been fantastic for the children, this is our green team and our school parliament who are doing their bit for the community and for their sustainability offer we have in school. 

“They've been seeing that actually these little bits can make a big difference, and I hope this is something they can take away and do in their own little areas where they live.”

The council supports individuals and groups to host their own community clean-ups, providing the equipment they need and collecting the waste after the event. Residents can request support on the council’s website.

And residents are encouraged to report fly-tipping, littering, dog fouling and graffiti online too.