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March 28, 2013

Volunteers spring into action for anti-litter initiative!

Minister of State for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Fergus O’Dowd launches An Taisce’s 15th Annual National Spring Clean campaign.
 
Model and National Spring Clean ambassador Sarah McGovern and twins Luke and Emily Darley (6) were today springing into action to launch An Taisce’s National Spring Clean campaign. National Spring Clean volunteers from all over the country will this year be celebrating 15 years of Ireland’s longest-running anti-litter programme by organising clean-ups throughout the month of April. For more information and to register for a free clean up kit, visit www.nationalspringclean.org 28th March 2013: Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government Fergus O’Dowd, TD, together National Spring Clean Chairperson Patricia Oliver, model and National Spring Clean ambassador Sarah McGovern and twins Emily and Luke Darley (6), was today springing into action at the launch of An Taisce’s National Spring Clean campaign. National Spring Clean volunteers from all over the country will this year be celebrating 15 years of Ireland’s longest-running anti-litter programme by organising clean-ups throughout the month of April.
 
The National Spring Clean campaign is organised by An Taisce and funded by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Last year, more than half a million people took part in the campaign and collected over 14,000 tonnes of rubbish – that’s over 16 times the weight of the The Spire on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.
 
Minister of State Fergus O’Dowd, TD said, “It is inspiring to be a part of National Spring Clean’s 15th  campaign launch.  Each spring hundreds of thousands of volunteers who share the same love for and dedication to their communities come together to take part in the campaign and do their bit towards a cleaner and more vibrant environment that we can all be proud of.”
 
Volunteers from Kildare have already organised a number of events taking place in the coming week as follows:

  • On the 6th April, Leixlip Tidy Town Association will be litter picking on all roads throughout Leixlip including all approaching roads. For more information, please contact: Carmel Lennon on 0857346253
  • Caragh Court Residents Association in Naas are inviting all residents of Caragh Court, Caragh Green and Caragh Meadows to come out on Saturday the 6th of April at 10am and help clean-up the area. For more information, please contact: Brian Dempsey on 0876451260
  • Kildare Sinn Fein are raising awareness of the litter and dog mess that is in the Monread area of Naas on the 6th of April. For more information, please contact: Chris Wilson on 0873218991
  • Tir Na Móna Community Council, Rathcoffey Historical Group, Clane Tidy Towns, Prosperous Tidy Towns Newtown, Courtown & Kilcock will be having their  Annual Litter Clean Up on Saturday, 6th April in various locations, starting at 10am. For more information, please contact: Pádraig McEvoy on 086 8658262

 

The National Spring Clean campaign is also sponsored by the Wrigley Company and supported by Repak who supply colour coded refuse sacks for recycling the materials collected.  Local Authorities co-ordinate activity in their areas and also support their local communities.
 
Patricia Oliver, chairperson of National Spring Clean said, “Each year the National Spring Campaign gets bigger and bigger and it is truly heart-warming to see that same community spirit in volunteers today that we saw during our first campaign in 1998.  It is thanks to these dedicated volunteers that the campaign has been able to work on behalf of a cleaner Ireland for the last 15 years.”
 
Those who register for National Spring Clean are issued with a FREE clean up kit which includes information on organising events, posters, colour coded refuse sacks for segregation of waste materials, and protective gloves and tabards.  Local Authorities also provide efficient management of all waste collected without charge.
 
To celebrate 15 years of keeping your community clean and tidy, register by calling 01 4002220 or visit the website at www.nationalspringclean.org.
 
This year, An Taisce is also celebrating ‘Local Heroes’ who have demonstrated their commitment both to their communities by organising anti-litter events over the last number of years.  Join the search for the National Spring Clean Local Hero on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NationalSpringClean.

The Local Hero 2013, who will be announced in April, will win a Spring Break in the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel.