A new campaign from Barking and Dagenham Council will see them lead monthly Days of Action targeting hotspot areas across the borough - bringing together schools, businesses, faith groups and volunteers to clean up public spaces.

Known as Cleaner BD is rallying the community to take pride in their neighbourhoods and tackle litter, fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour head-on.

The campaign launched with a major community clean-up in the Becontree Heath/Wood Lane area of Dagenham on Thursday 6 November. Local clean heroes including William Bellamy Primary School, Robert Clack Secondary School, Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, The Three Travellers Pub, and local volunteers rolled up their sleeves to make a difference.

Council teams also carried out deep cleaning, trimmed overgrown greenery, investigated fly-tips and eyesore gardens, and engaged with local businesses and residents.

In total, over half a tonne of waste and litter was cleared - showing the scale of the challenge and what can be achieved when working together.

Councillor Dominic Twomey, Leader of the Council said: “We’ve always been serious about keeping Barking and Dagenham clean, and we know how important this is to residents - but we can’t do it alone. We all need to play our part, by not littering, not fly-tipping, reporting any issues when we see it, and joining community-led activities to help with keeping our neighbourhood’s tidy. Since March this year, we’ve collected on average 3 out 4 reported fly-tips – that’s almost 6,500 fly-tips.

“These days of action, which will take place in hotspots right around the borough, will show what can be done when we all work together. Let’s keep it going. It starts here, with all of us.”

Rosie Morgan, Contract Activity and Wellbeing Manager for Everyone Active in Barking & Dagenham: “The Day of Action was a fantastic opportunity to support local volunteers and play our part in helping the community look cleaner and more welcoming.

It was great to see so many people come together to make a difference, and we hope the day inspires others to take pride in where they live and look after their local area.”

To make sure the message reaches everyone, the council is rolling out new techniques to tackle fly-tipping, including:

• Pavement stencils marking where fly-tips have been cleared, reminding people not to dump waste there again.
• Translated messaging in the borough’s top five spoken languages, ensuring all communities are informed and empowered.

Education is a key part of the campaign. Residents will be supported to understand what fly-tipping is, how to correctly get rid of their bulky waste and waste in general and how to report fly-tipping when they see it.

Residents are being encouraged to back the campaign by signing an online pledge to keep their streets clean. And they can also hold their own community litter picks, with all equipment provided, by applying online.