Armed with litter pickers and dressed in high-vis vests, the people regularly seen clearing up Budleigh Salterton could be mistaken for council workers.
But look more closely and it’s clear that they are members of the town’s Lions Club.
While East Devon District Council’s Street Scene team are responsible for maintaining and tidying public spaces, the Lions often help with this work in Budleigh. They are happy to do this because Budleigh Salterton Town Council gave them a grant to buy their litter picking equipment, after clean-ups became a regular activity during the height of the Covid pandemic. Looking after the environment is also among the priorities of the Lions Club movement.
On Monday, August 8 Budleigh Salterton Town Council received a complaint from a local resident about litter along the East Budleigh Road. The complainant said, “The path looks dismal as the grass has been cut and exposed all manner of plastic and other waste.”
The council contacted the Lions Club and two days later, three Lions and two friends walked from the top of Granary Lane to East Budleigh, picking up litter. They filled nearly six rubbish bags with plastic waste, sandwich wrappers, takeaway food containers, glass bottles, polystyrene and other debris.
Richard Allen, President of Budleigh Lions Club, said: "We are always keen to provide support when we can. The environment is one of our five global causes and by carrying out regular litter picking and beach cleans we can help to reduce the amount of plastic and other waste materials in our oceans and in our local environment.
"It was a good walk and it's always nice to be joined by other volunteers who are happy to help".
Beach cleans have been carried out regularly this summer, with the Lions joined by organisations such as the Environment Agency, the Marine Conservation Society and Street Scene. Last month they were helped by staff from the Kier construction company, who are working on the Lower Otter Restoration Project, as they tidied up rubbish overflowing from the waste bins at Lime Kiln Car Park, and picked up litter at the play and skate parks and on the beach.
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