Sir — Steve Squire (Letters, September 5) asks what initiatives are planned to complement litter blitzes such as the Big Clean Up, and in Oxford, the Oxclean: Spring Clean.
We agree that more is needed. OxClean is an Oxford Civic Society initiative dedicated to cleaning up Oxford and to keeping the city clean all year round. We will shortly launch a campaign confronting the problems caused by eating and drinking 'on the go'. Subsequent campaigns will focus on cigarette butts, and flytipping and grotspots.
We welcome Mr Squire's support for education of the young; OxClean volunteers visit all Oxford city schools, primary and secondary, once a term, awarding certificates and a shield (for the secondary schools) at the end of the school year. We would warmly welcome the extension of this programme into schools in the county, but do not have the resources or remit to do this ourselves.
Some of the takeaway businesses in Oxford Cornmarket have recently committed to cleaning up the pavements outside their outlets and to providing bins; we praise this initiative, and support it, and hope for an extension into other parts of the city. The Oxford Times reported on these developments last month. Their support is essential to our campaigning.
Readers wanting more information on the activities of OxClean can visit our website oxclean.org.uk or email info@oxclean.org.uk. Our success in making Oxford a cleaner and a pleasanter city in which to live and work depends on the support and involvement of Oxford citizens. Our remit is the city but we would love to see similar initiatives blossom in the rest of the county.
Liz Storrar, Chairman, OxClean (part of Oxford Civic Society)
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