The Clean Britain Awards is a BCC run competition that is valuable to Britain as a nation. By its very nature it aims to celebrate those organisations toiling hard to keep the country clean and tidy.

In this day and age, this task must feel like an uphill struggle to many as there has been a steady increase in fast food litter and drinks/confectionary litter not helped by a boom in facilities selling them. The culture has changed so much over the past 20 years to a point where it is now commonplace to eat sandwiches and snacks on the go, on the streets.

The smoking ban in the UK has pushed many smokers outdoors, outside pubs, restaurants and office facilities, meaning that there has been an increase in strewn cigarette ends where adequate disposal facilities, such as cigarette bins, have fallen short. Despite the persistent litter lout, most people in this country want to take pride in the places in which they live, work and play. In a research project carried out by ENCAMS (Keep Britain Tidy campaigners), neighbourhood appearance - along with level of crime and community spirit - was one of the three things that people surveyed were unhappy with.

Steve Wright, chairman of the BCC, recently called on the British public to throw their weight behind efforts to keep streets clean by supporting their councils or by getting involved in community clean-ups. While it is ultimately the responsibility of local authorities to clean up after us, there wouldn’t be any mess if we took better care of the streets. Working together will be the quickest, most effective way of achieving a cleaner, tidier Britain.

The 2012 Olympics has caused a stir for many in the service industries and a desire to clean up London and beyond is shared by many. Not only will London benefit from the Olympic Games but so will the rest of the country as tourism will bolster trade and visitor numbers. If we want visitors to return, there is a better chance of that happening if the streets are in a pristine condition.

The BCC would like to see all UK local authorities show their support for an awards scheme that is arguably the UK’s most important environmental competition. Entries for the 2008/09 Clean Britain Awards are being welcomed from cities, towns and districts until the end of July 2008.

Judging will be taking place at entrant locations in the lead up to the final which is taking place on 10 March 2009 at the Cleaning Show, NEC, Birmingham. Many authorities enter this competition not just to win but to gain valuable consultancy-based feedback from expert judges. In the past we have seen all four UK capitals battle it out for the top spot, gaining the title of ‘Cleanest Place in Britain’.

The Clean Britain Awards encourages healthy competition throughout all our UK towns and villages, while remaining loyal to its core aim of ‘helping put civic pride back into Britain’.

Further information on the competition can be found at:
Web: http://www.cleanbritainawards.co.uk
Tel: 01962 850277
Email: information@cleanbritainawards.co.uk