Great British Spring Clean Pan-Harbour Clean-Up Event

Take part in a clean-up on Saturday 21st March as part of the Great British Spring Clean! Can we get as many people as possible to help clean up our local area?

Note that there are three ticket options for this event:

• Emsworth
• Hayling
• Remote

If you are looking to join as part of a sailing club, please contact us directly on [email protected]

We will be running an organised group clean-up in Emsworth, meeting point opposite 36 on the Quay on the shoreline, between 10am and midday. The What3Words reference is https://w3w.co/frog.hero.atoms​.

We will also be running an organised group clean-up on Hayling Island along the Hayling Billy Line, meeting by the car park behind the Esso petrol station on Hayling Island (What3Words ref. https://w3w.co/renamed.paths.unclaimed).

Alternatively, if you can't make it to Emsworth or Hayling, but would like to take part remotely wherever you are, please let us know by selecting 'Remote Participation' in the options. Please note the guidance for separate clean-ups below - scroll down!

Every bit of litter and rubbish we pick up makes a difference. At the organised event, the Final Straw Foundation will provide gloves, litter pickers, bags and buckets, but if you have any of your own of these that you would like to use please bring them. If you are going to take part in your own area separately, please make sure you use tough gloves, and that you dispose of any rubbish collected appropriately. This may mean using your own wheelie bin or putting the rubbish in a public bin.

If you would like to make a donation to the charity, you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/finalstrawfdn

Guidance for Emsworth and Hayling Events - please read!

• There will be a safety briefing at the start of the event, please listen carefully and adhere to the guidelines.
• Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes.
• Only go where instructed to go on the day.
• Dress for the weather! If it's hot, wear sun cream, if it's raining bring a rain jacket and so on - layers are great.
• Please bring your own drink in a reusable container.
• Do not pick up anything sharp (broken glass, needles etc). Inform a host and we will remove it. We will have a sharps bin with us.
• Under 18's must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult, FSF accepts no responsibility for minors attending the event.
• Participation is at the individual's own risk, but please report any incidents to the hosts.
• Do not put your hands anywhere near your face, especially eyes or mouth during the clean. You never know what you may have touched and your gloves will probably be dirty.
• Bring hand sanitiser for after the clean-up and wash your hands thoroughly as soon as possible after the event.
• Return all equipment and litter to the collection/drop-off spot.
• Well-behaved dogs on leads are more than welcome, but please keep them with you, under control and be aware of others with your dogs even if they are friendly.

Guidance for remote participation separately - please read if you are planning to clean up an area of your own choice!
Make sure you pick a location that is safe to litter pick – avoid busy roads, isolated areas or areas that are physically challenging (rocky etc) and that you will be on publicly accessible land, unless you have permission to be on a private property. Please reuse bags as much as possible, and if you can, just empty it into a public bins when you have finished (but keep hold of the bag itself for re-use), but if that’s not possible, just take the rubbish home in it and put it in your bin/recycling bin. If you are working in groups, you may only need one bag between you – don’t use loads of bags for a small amount of litter!

We would love to know how you get on, so please keep a note of how many bags you collect and let us know by emailing [email protected] or tagging us on social media (@finalstrawfoundation).
Always be careful when litter picking.

• Go out litter picking with someone else – avoid going alone. If this is not possible, please make sure that someone else always knows where you will be, what you are doing and how long you will be – we recommend that you have a mobile phone with you at all times.
• Wear suitable clothing.
• Always wear tough gloves.
• Closed-toe shoes.
• Warm/cool clothing suitable for the weather and take a (reusable) drink bottle with you if needed.
• Wear bright clothing to make yourself more visible or a high viz vest or jacket.
• Avoid sharp items. Do not pick up broken glass or anything else sharp unless there is a real danger to others where it is. If you are an adult, please be very careful if you do pick it up, but we would advise you not to do so. If you are under 18, please do not pick up any sharp items at all.
• Be aware of traffic, and do not walk along the edge of roads – stick to wide pavements and watch out for moving cars and bikes.
• Be cautious picking up dog (or any other!) poo - we advise you to leave it if it is not bagged, and if it is bagged only pick it up using a picker if you have one.
• Please do not leave full bags of rubbish out on the side of roads or other public places. They may not be picked up by the council quickly, and may be ripped and scattered by wild animals like foxes and seagulls, which undoes all your hard work!
• Check and be aware of tides if you are on the beach - make sure you do not get cut off. Do not enter the water or tidal mud.
• Do not touch your face when you are litter-picking.
• Carry a hand gel with you to use when you have finished or wash your hands thoroughly.
• Please be aware of wildlife and try not to disturb it. Shorelines may have nesting or resting seabird populations, so please be careful to avoid any that you see so that we can protect our precious wildlife.

Please note that litter picking is undertaken entirely at your own risk. Always be mindful of your surroundings, wear suitable clothing and footwear, and do not attempt to pick up any items that may pose a safety hazard. The Final Straw Foundation is not liable for any injuries or accidents that may occur during litter picking.

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