A MOUNTAIN of discarded bottles, tins and litter was recovered from a graveyard in Bournemouth by volunteers.
Volunteers have been clearing the East Howe Churchyard of overgrown bushes and shrubs after concerns that it was become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.
A £1,300 grant from Dorset Community Foundation will help North Bournemouth Crime Prevention Panel’s project to restore the Victorian graveyard to its former glory.
The grant will buy litter-picking tools, heavy duty bags and cards explaining how to run litter picks and how to sort the rubbish collected.
“Locals have cleared this wonderful little historical gem into a place of peace, encouraged wildlife, planted wildflowers, put up bird boxes” said panel co-ordinator Deidre Redstone.
“Over 90 vodka bottles, 12 sacks of lager tins, needles, mountains of litter were gradually cleared and undergrowth cut back to wonderful old local gravestones.”
The donation will also pay for information leaflets and a new bench for visitors to sit and appreciate the open space.
The grant to North Bournemouth Crime Prevention Panel was one of many grass roots projects which have benefitted from £16,000 worth of grants from Dorset Community Foundation thanks to their partnership with Wessex Water.
The Wessex Water Environment Fund was launched with the community foundation by The Wessex Water Foundation, a multi-million-pound initiative launched in June 2020.
Another recipient of the grants is litter campaigner Oceans To Earth in Poole, which will be able to help more groups in the area to clean up their communities after receiving a £1,500 grant.
Founder Rosie Bailey said: “This is a massive help to us because we want to buy equipment to lend to nurseries, schools, play groups and lots of other organisations who contact us to help them.”
The grant will buy litter-picking tools, heavy duty bags and cards explaining how to run litter picks and how to sort the rubbish collected.
Dorset Community Foundation director Grant Robson said: “We are absolutely delighted to be continuing our partnership with Wessex Water, which is making a huge difference to communities in Dorset.
“The company’s generosity and commitment to the area will mean these fantastic projects will bring communities together, improve the environment and create better places for people to go.”
Wessex Water’s head of community engagement Kirsty Scarlett added: “We are really pleased that these grants are going to support projects important to Dorset communities and will help people come together who want to protect and enhance nature in their local area.”
Find out more about the work of Dorset Community Foundation at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org.
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