Great British Spring Clean

This post relates to various dates on our event calendar – please read below to find out the locations of each of these.

 

The Great British Spring Clean is Keep Britain Tidy’s annual national clean-up campaign. In 2026 it will take place from 13 to 29 March.

Anyone can get involved – businesses, charities, community groups, schools and individuals are all encouraged to take part. To join the campaign, simply pledge to collect at least one bag of litter via the Keep Britain Tidy website.

Here is how you can get involved locally:

Community Litter Picks with Thame Rotary

In Thame, you can take part in a community litter pick organised by Thame Rotary.

These events will take place in a number of locations across Thame, with most planned for Saturday 21 March, 10am – 12pm (subject to volunteer leaders being available).

To take part, you must first email becky.reid@thametowncouncil.gov.uk to let us know which area you would like to help in. This allows us to ensure that we have enough litter picking equipment for those intending to come. You can then add the date to your diary . Once arrangements are confirmed, we will email you details of the meeting point during the week leading up to 21 March.

On the day, just turn up wearing old clothes and heavy-duty gloves. Litter pickers and bin liners will be provided.

Areas expected to be included are:

  • Thame Meadows
  • Chiltern Vale: 10am Tuesday 17 March
  • Lea Park
  • Sycamore Rise
  • Thame Park: 10am Saturday 21 March
  • Chinnor Road

These events form part of a new monthly litter-picking project launched by Thame Rotary in February 2026. Future sessions will offer more opportunities to get involved, learn more about Thame Rotary, and meet like-minded people who want to help keep their town clean.

Business Litter Picks

If you are a local business interested in organising a litter pick, you can find out how to arrange this directly with South Oxfordshire District Council via our Litter Picking in Thame webpage.

Don’t forget to register your litter pick with Keep Britain Tidy as part of the national campaign.

Individual Litter Picks

You can also take part on your own. To do this:

  1. Read the Litter Picking Essentials guide from Keep Britain Tidy to stay safe.

  2. Register your litter pick on the Keep Britain Tidy website.

  3. Get the equipment you need: heavy-duty gloves, a litter picker and a bin liner. If you do not have a litter picker, Thame Town Council may be able to lend you one – contact becky.reid@thametowncouncil.gov.uk.

  4. Head out around your local streets and see what litter you can collect.

Once you have finished your litter pick, please take the rubbish home and dispose of it in your own black bin.