– First partnership with Manchester-wide Clean and Green Manchester campaign
– Cycle repair session led by Dr Bike
– Trackside activities delivered by MCR Active and Youth Elements
The nationwide call for hundreds of volunteers to roll up their sleeves and pledge to pick up litter across their local communities has returned to Manchester.
The Great British Spring Clean 2025 is the annual campaign rolled out by Keep Britain Tidy which encourages residents to take the initiative in organising their own litter picks and bringing together communities.
With over 1,000 bags of litter collected last year, residents are being spurred on again to help tidy up their local neighbourhoods through cleaning up pathways, parks and other greens spaces.
While The Great British Spring Clean has marked its 10-year anniversary, the event also celebrated the improvements being delivered through Clean and Green Manchester campaign with a campaign launch event in the much-loved Boggart Hole Clough Park.
The epic event featured an array of outdoor activities for families and school pupils such as Bee Pedal Ready, the Cycling Mayor for Greater Manchester and British Cycling who all led activities on track alongside a host of games near the park’s popular Lakeside Cafe.
There was a chance to take a walk with a local storyteller from Manchester Libraries through the twists and turns of the park. A Bloom Trail led by the National Trust launched on the day and provided free resource packs to children of the latest sprouting flowers and shrubs as spring emerges. Read Manchester also ran with the theme of spring, performing poetry on what is also World Poetry Day.
And in the true spirit of the Great British Spring Clean, litter picks took place on bikes and on foot. With an estimated 250 people in attendance, the GBSC team attempted to break the local record for the most amount of volunteers – made up of school pupils, community groups, partners and businesses – at a single litter pick in Manchester. Numbers will be verified later.
The three-week run of litter picks around the city and country, coincides with the council’s three-year investment project called Clean and Green Manchester.
Launched in August last year, up to £15m was pledged to improve Manchester’s green spaces, accessibility needs and make communities cleaner and greener to live in.
So far, around 332 projects have been started around Manchester, including £5.1m spent on repairing parks with new accessible pathways, benches and new play equipment such as swings.
The litter bin roll out saw hundreds of replacement bins around the city to help reduce litter, while £50k has supported tree works throughout the city making sure they are healthy and long lasting and adding cycle storages to at least six parks with partners at Transport for Greater Manchester.
An extra £5 million was committed in the Council’s budget for 2025/26 into services to tackle fly tipping, litter and making the city clean, green and tidy.
With the GBSC launch having taken place for the first time ever in Boggart Hole Clough, even more volunteers signed up to wipe clean last year’s incredible turn out; achieving 105 equipment requests, 2,016 loaned litter picks and over 100 litter picks that took place in and round Manchester forging new connections while keeping the city clean.
The Great British Spring runs from 21 March-6 April.
Find out more for guidance on arranging a litter pick and how to get any rubbish collected and how to get involved with more community volunteering around the city.
More information on how communities are becoming cleaner and greener can be found at Clean and Green Manchester.
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods, said: “I am thrilled to launch of the Great British Spring Clean. In collaboration with Biffa and our many dedicated partners, we have made significant strides in enhancing the cleanliness and accessibility of Manchester.
“This initiative has brought our communities together, fostering a sense of unity and pride. However, our work is far from over. I encourage all residents to join us in future litter picks to ensure our neighbourhoods remain vibrant and welcoming. Thank you for your commitment to making Manchester a cleaner, greener place for all.”
Marise Lindsey, a Cafe Manager at Lakeside Cafe, said: “Every month we see volunteers from Lakeside Community CIC come to Boggart Hole Clough carrying out litter picks – it’s brilliant to see this continue on an even bigger scale for the Great British Spring Clean. The park has become a cleaner and more enjoyable place for visitors to cycle, walk or have picnics. The Lakeside Cafe is a huge part of bringing hard-working communities together as we welcome everyone for a tea or coffee.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “We are so grateful for the game-changing support from Manchester City Council.
“The Great British Spring Clean is a fantastic way for councils to support residents to really show their pride in where they live, and connect with like-minded people, while taking serious and immediate action to protect the environment on their doorstep.
“During this year’s campaign, we are highlighting that the environment belongs to everyone, and that everyone is welcome to join in with our activities and celebrate the 10th Great British Spring Clean.”
