Newly set up Dumfries and Galloway community group aims to keep area tidy with litter pick drive

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A new Facebook group aims to help keep Dumfries and Galloway tidy.Keeping D&G Tidy has been set up by Maggie Holdsworth, who spends many hours a week clearing litter from the A75 around Dumfries.The group, which is supported by The People’s Project, aims to bring together people interested in keeping the region tidy by tackling littering hotspots.Maggie, who was a finalist for Dumfries and Galloway Life’s volunteer of the year award, said: “I wanted to find out who else was litter picking, where and what areas were standing out for needing litter cleaning.“I wanted to know what wasn’t getting done and to find other people who might want to do more.

There is such a joy that comes from litter picking. It’s the before and after.“You go to a place that you despair of and you leave it feeling proud of where you are.

It doesn’t stop you feeling cross that people are dropping litter but the less litter there is in an area, I think, the less will accumulate.” Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway.

The group hopes to recognise good work already being done and support people who want to litter pick, with a map being developed to track littering hotspots and litter picking activity.The development of the group comes at a time when a consultation on Dumfries and Galloway Council’s budget included an option on removing bins from along the A75.The People’s Project’s Mark Jardine said: “Together we can change the culture of litter being the accepted norm in society.