By Scarlet Drayson
A total of 100 bags of rubbish have been cleared from a Margate play area as part of an ongoing campaign by Margate Women’s Institute.
Seventeen bags of rubbish and other larger items were collected from Tivoli play area by the group during the afternoon of Sunday 14 April.
It was Margate WI’s fifth visit to the green space since August 2023, and in total enough rubbish to fill 100 bin liners, as well as several larger items have been cleared.
Members felt the issue was so serious that they have approached local councillors to see what measures, such as extra bins, could be introduced into the area.
The WI members have been carrying out the voluntary litter picks as part of their ongoing campaign to help keep the town clean and tidy and encourage others to do the same.
At the end of March, the women took part in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean. As well as clearing 24 bags of rubbish in an organised litter picking session in the Barnes Car Park area in Westbrook, over the two-week campaign the members individually also carried out their own litter picking sessions in their local streets.
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Initially pledging to fill 50 bags with rubbish for the campaign, their determination saw them fill 85 bags from areas all over Margate and beyond.
Mandy Jarvis from Margate WI said: “Keep Britain Tidy started from a campaign by the Women’s Institute in 1954. As it is now celebrating 70 years, and our own campaign was inspired by those same women, we just had to take part and help to keep Margate marvellous!
“We had lots of people stop and speak to us as we cleared the streets and parks, and we hope others feel inspired to take steps to protect our environment.”
Margate WI meet at 7.30pm on the second Thursday of every month at Selina Hotel.
