Residents to make Bognor brighter as Great British Spring Clean gets underway

Organised by Keep Britain Tidy, the Great British Spring Clean is a national initiative designed to get members of the public donning their litter-pickers and tidying their streets.

It starts tomorrow (March 25) and runs until April 10, with groups all over the country participating.

In Bognor Regis, several groups have already taken up the spring cleaning mantle. One of them is Bognor Regis Community Cleans, organised by Bognor Regis photographer Georgina Smith.

More than just a chance to tidy our streets and help the environment, Miss Smith said litter picking events like these are an opportunity to get out in the community and make friends.

"I've always cared about the environment, and I wanted to give back to the community and meet people, see what they do and collaborate with them," she said.

Taking place at the pier on Saturday (March 26), Miss Smith's event is open to anyone who wants to come along, and she's hoping to collect up to 30 bags of rubbish over the course of the campaign. More importantly, though, the 23 year-old said she is hoping to set a precedent for future litter-picking events, to prove to people that it's possible to take control of litter in the community.

"This is a good start," she explained. "People are already trying to find out more about it and I've had other people message me asking to borrow equipment to pick up litter on their own street.

"After this event, people can just carry on. This doesn't have to be a one-time thing."

Alongside Miss Smith's clean-up, other litter-picking events are being organised by The Beachcroft Hotel, on Clyde Road, and the Bognor Regis in Bloom Working Group.

The Beachcroft's clean-up will take place from 10am to 2pm on April 9, and the Bognor in Bloom clean-up will take place the day prior, also at the beach, from 10.30am to 12pm