Throughout February and early March the Vale of White Horse District Council is encouraging everybody to get together with their communities and make sure the neighbourhood is sparkling clean ahead of the Queen’s 90th birthday. The whole country is having a big clear-up on the weekend of 4 – 6 March. If you’re interested in setting up your own litter picking group, register on the Clean for the Queen website and email waste.team@southandvale.gov.uk. Biffa will contact you to give you some Clean for the Queen hi-vis gear, sacks and litter-pickers and some tips on how to make your clean up a success. Waste crews are also carrying out some extra clean-ups across the district – if there’s a particular ‘grot spot’ in your area that you think could do with a bit of a polish, give them a call on 03000 610610 or email waste.team@southandvale.gov.uk, and you could be in with a chance of having your very own spring clean. Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This is a great opportunity for everyone to get a bit hands-on and give their local area a bit of a freshen up. If there’s a patch by you that’s seen better days, make the most of what we can do for you – we might be able to come along and give it a good tidy-up.” Councillor Elaine Ware, cabinet member for waste at the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Everyone from schools to community groups can get involved in this. Even if you’ve never done anything like this before, we can advise you on how to make sure your clean-up is a big success. Spring is hopefully just around the corner so there’s no better time to get things spruced up.” For more information, including a competition for schools to take part in, visit the Clean for the Queen website.