Council calls on young people to support anti-litter campaign
A campaign aimed at encouraging young people to become more aware of the impact that littering has on their environment is now under way in the Highlands.
The Highland Council’s TEC Services is calling on schools and youth groups to enter a competition to demonstrate their understanding of the negative effects of litter.
The aim is to raise awareness of the blight littering and to get young people involved and interested in their environment by having them use their artistic skills to either design a poster or create a video.
In conjunction with the Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service, schools were contacted in the first week of the new term informing them of the ‘Don’t Litter’-themed competition. The hope is that the young people will become interested in their environment and become more aware of the need to change social behaviour.
James Sanderson, who is leading this initiative for TEC Services, explained that currently officers went into schools and gave talks and presentations to various groups of pupils but the impact of these talks was difficult to quantify. He said: “A competition like this which is linked to their media studies is seen as a useful way of involving many pupils.”
More than 40 schools have already confirmed that they will be participating in the competition. Judging will take place in January 2010.
Chairman of The Highland Council’s TEC Services, Councillor John Laing said: “This is a great chance for young people to use their creativity to raise awareness to the real effect littering has on our communities. As well as been an eyesore to people living locally and also visitors to our area, littering causes harm to wildlife and has health risks for us all. I am sure the entries will be of a very high standard and the messages contained in the posters and films will be hard hitting and powerful. I’d like to wish everyone taking part good luck.”
Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service said: “Anti-littering is a fundamental basic process for all our schools that are striving to attain Green Flag eco-status and higher Green Flag awards. This competition with TEC Services will help those schools that have not already put anti-littering actions in place. Hopefully the ‘don’t litter’ message will ring home beyond the school playground and into our communities.”
If any school or youth group wishes to take part in this competition then they should contact James Sanderson at The Service Point , 62 High Street Invergordon IV18 0DH , tel: 01349 853778 or james.sanderson2@highland.gov.uk