WITH just one more week to go before the big Oxford spring clean, there is still time to get involved and join the army of volunteers who will be out cleaning up the city on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7.

Large numbers of schools and residents’ groups have already signed up to The Oxford Times backed event.

But the Oxford Bus Company believes local firms should not be counted as passengers when it comes to OxClean 2009.

The Bus Company will be among Oxford businesses leading the way by supporting the annual clean-up.

It is to promote the big clean-up on its buses and is encouraging employees to take part.

Louisa Weeks, operations director said, “The Oxford Bus Company is delighted to back OxClean. We think it’s very important to keep our bus and coaches clean and tidy and so it’s natural for us to support OxClean.

“We’re proud to be one of their supporters.

“We are promoting the scheme on all our buses and several teams from the Oxford Bus Company have volunteered to go out and clean up the area. We have already started talks with OxClean about next year and we hope to be even more involved next time round.”

The number of groups lining up to give the city a brush-up has now passed the 100 mark.

Of these, 93 have confirmed sites for the clean-up.

OxClean is organised by Oxford Civic Society and Oxford City Council and is supported by The Oxford Times.

Tony Joyce, the chairman of the Oxford Civic Society, said: “After last year’s spring clean I took some time to look around the city and Oxford really did look very different.

“Walking around the streets that weekend lifted you. It really cheered you up.”

He said that he would like to see the annual spring clean to be extended to eventually include the whole county.

Last year’s OxClean saw more than 1,500 volunteers turn out in Oxford to clean up streets, playing fields, car parks, riverbanks, schools, recreation grounds and also bicycle pathways across the city.

There is still time for groups to nominate a place in the city that you wish to clean up. Anyone wishing to register or who would like to find groups taking part should go to oxclean.org.uk