Success In Gibraltar
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This years campaign proved to be incredibly successful. Bringing together over 500 volunteers from every sector of our community picking up rubbish, several hundred more supported the parade and exhibition which launched the weekend itself at Casemates on the Saturday morning.
Having identified sites in the preceding weeks, via land and sea surveys – with the Police, MoD, Technical Services and media – the ESG co-ordinated over 23 teams representing organisations and schools who took part cleaning up 27 different sites. Underwater sites were targeted, coastlines too, as well as many of our green areas which were disgracefully littered. The organisers wish to thank everyone who took part, sponsored and supported the event and ensured 2007 was the most effective campaign ever.
Why? Because as in previous years CUTW has generated a focus, sense of purpose and empowerment among those who took part and encourages further projects to be developed throughout the year: Details of these will be made public shortly.
On the down side the Clean up this year has emphasised the serious problems Gibraltar still faces with dumping and littering, not uncommon throughout Europe but on a patch our size something we should be able to manage better. Gibraltar also produces double the waste per person than someone living in the UK, something we should not be proud of and try and reduce.
CUTW volunteers will soon be contacted to attend a gathering where ideas will be shared and commitments made by each team to take these issues further throughout the coming year. The ESG, as an example, will soon be distributing a “Rubbish Guidelines” poster.
Finally and most importantly Clean up the World would not be as successful as it has been every year without the commitment and support from the community – warm thanks and acknowledgment goes to all as follows:-
Performances by:
St Josephs and Loreto School
Westside Poets
Musicians: Special thanks to Michael Clarence, Adrian Pisarello, Eric Rowbottom and Sister Dee
Exhibits from: As well as information and posters on the Clean up the World Global campaign there were displays from: Westside School great art work and a Greenwatch display; St. Mary’s, St. Martins Governor’s Meadow, Loreto and Bayside School and more from ESG, GONHS, FoE, Technical Services, as well as a footprint corner with guidance from Catherine Walsh and Jon Scott. A very busy Kid’s corner included a giant foot model produced by Michele Stagnetto and helpers as well as colouring and footprinting charts. Children were also encouraged to decorate trees provided by the GONHS with messages on the environment shaped as feet; a comprehensive poster on rubbish guidelines was also displayed for the first time which saw input from Environmental Agency, Department of Environment and organised by the ESG – this was then designed by Anne Coelho who also prepared a large photo montage on rubbish. All in all, the exhibition was exciting and made a colourful splash across the square. Special thanks too to those who came to help set up early in the morning.
Parade:-Westside, Bayside, St Joseph’s First, St Joseph’s Middle, Notre Dame, Sacred Heart, Loreto, St Mary’s, several Clean up the World team leaders, and many other campaign supporters. Main Street was a sea of people and colourful displays and the walkers certainly made an impact as they wound their way to Cathedral Square and back to Casemates. Thanks to the very young whose little legs struggled to make the whole walk but managed to! Also to the caterpillar carriers celebrating Gibraltar’s wonderful biodiversity!
Clean up Teams:
Technical support from Steve Payne (abseiling support), Partygaming, Vic Stadium, Amigos del Camino de Santiago, Eco Warriors (ESG), Ministry for the Env, Stray Cats, FoEGib, South District Group, Royal Gibraltar Police officers and divers, Environmental Agency, GONHS-Cave Section, Royal Gibraltar Regiment, Ministry of Defence, Westside School, Paper Recycling, St. John’s Cadets, Nunca Mais (ESG), St. Christopher’s, Bayside School, Rotary Club, Gibraltar Youth Service, Green Transformers (ESG)
Special thanks to rubbish collectors: Tom Scott, Jim Howitt, Ewen Clinton, Ernest Teuma – ESG, Andrew Abrines – Wildlife (Gibraltar) Ltd, John Carreras – Gibraltar Heritage Trust, Glen Banda – Environmental Agency
First Aid cover: Reliably provided as in previous years by St John’s Cadets Angelo Cerisola and Graham Southall
Equipment and Assistance from: Christina Cortes (ESG) again assisted with her excellent work on the promotional materials in the hot summer months. Gibraltar Philharmonic Society (Ministry of Culture), Department of the Environment, Trafalgar Group, CK Transport, Toyota, Beacon Press, Environmental Agency, Gibraltar Wildlife Ltd, Arts and Crafts Gallery, St Joseph’s Middle School, Royal Gibraltar Police – Marine section, Technical Services and Steve Payne- Abseiler for surveys, Royal Gibraltar Regiment, Michele Stagnetto for her creative and untiring work for the cause, Local Media in promoting the campaign in the run up especially GBC, Radio Gibraltar, Gibraltar Chronicle and the Insight Magazine. Adrian Pisarello and Eric Rowbottom for providing the sound system for event, Radio Gibraltar for providing live radio coverage of Casemates event as well as a live link to Australia at the opening and finally to Lizzie Savignon for help during the early stages of the campaign.
Sponsors:- Thanks to Main Sponsors Bonita Trust and the Open Day Trust, Interbuild, Master Services, MoD, Morrison’s and MRW- Icom for support and help in making this inspiring campaign a reality.
Great care has been taken to include all those who took part – if anyone has been missed out please accept our apology and do let us know and understand this is purely because of the numbers involved.
The CUTW 2006 weekend was a resounding success!! Starting off with an accrued amount of 150 tonnes by Govt and Master Services, the weekend saw a further 40 to 50 tonnes of rubbish lifted off the green areas and underwater by an energetic 350 volunteers.
Starting with a Green Parade supported by several schools and organisations as well as some CUTW teams, the colourful, almost carnival-like parade wound its way from Casemates, up Main Street terminating at the Piazza where displays, activities, and Green music entertained all for some time.
Meanwhile, some teams were already busy removing rubbish from the Upper Rock and some more central areas and this grew and intensified until about 5.00pm on Sunday afternoon. With divers and abseilers taking part a big difference was made to areas that normally are not cleaned due to lack of easy access.
Also on Sunday a team from Westside embarked on a study walk along Eastside of Gibraltar making observations of the negative and positive impacts humans are making on the environment. A full report will be made on this soon.
While recognising that Government is publicly acknowledging and addressing the need for change with regards to littering and dumping on the Rock, the ESG, supported by the many CUTW participants affirms that specific measures need to be applied in order for this to happen.
These are:
- Changing attitudes in the community through govt campaigns, posters, etc.
- Revising cleaning contracts to tackle infrequently cleaned areas which slowly become eyesores and hygiene issues.
- Clarification of waste disposal to halt erroneous and illegal dumping.
- Building Contractors to be legally responsible to move old infrastructure as part of refurbishment contracts.
- Private lands to be fenced off to prevent illegal dumping.
- Adequate provision of better designed bins in the many areas lacking such facilities encouraging dumping to continue – these to be supported by enforcement information.
- Policing and enforcement of anti-littering legislation to deter such behaviour, as is done with driving, dog fouling etc.
- CCTV to be set up in hotspot areas.
- Need for Recycling facilities to be set up without further delay.
The ESG will organise for a report to be submitted to Govt and related agencies and services such as: Ministry for the Environment, Technical Services, Environment Agency, Master Services, Royal Gibraltar Police.
After this a call will be made to hold a meeting with all of the above and CUTW team representatives to see how together some long lasting positive changes can be achieved for the benefit of the community and the living environment.
Finally the ESG wishes to acknowledge and thank all those involved who should feel extremely proud of their achievements in helping to make Gibraltar a cleaner and healthier environment.
