Tag: Keep Scotland Beautiful

KSB launches Climate Challenge Fund film to celebrate success

Over a decade of inspiring community climate action is being celebrated by environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, as it launches a report and film to celebrate the people, the projects, and the impact of the Climate Challenge Fund across Scotland.

In 2008, Keep Scotland Beautiful opened the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to applicants for the first time and since then over 1,150 diverse projects spanning every single local authority area in Scotland have been awarded CCF grants to take action on climate change locally. Total CCF funding exceeds £111 million.

Since then, Keep Scotland Beautiful has been at the forefront of community climate action, supporting CCF funded groups, and working with communities across Scotland to build capacity to tackle climate change.

Although focusing on projects funded over the last four years, the report also shares learning from 12 years of Keep Scotland Beautiful managing the CCF.

The report is complemented by a newly launched film which celebrates the impact of the CCF – capturing the thoughts and feelings of community members working on grassroots CCF projects and a variety of partners from the wider CCF community.

Stories of success feature prominently in the report and demonstrate how CCF projects have provided valuable support to help communities cut carbon emissions through reducing their reliance on car travel, tackling waste, growing local food and using energy more efficiently in homes and community buildings. 

It also explains how, in addition to the carbon benefits, the CCF has driven community cohesion, knowledge sharing and fostered a Scotland wide peer-led movement where people have introduced their fellow citizens to more sustainable, healthy and often more economical ways of living – building broad public support for ambitious national action on climate change.

The contribution volunteers have made to successful CCF projects cannot be underestimated and the report shares inspiring personal stories of how these local volunteers have helped tackle carbon, strengthen their communities and play an invaluable part in the response to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From 1 July 2021 communities and groups in receipt of a CCF grant will receive support directly from the Scottish Government. 

As we hand over the baton, KSB CEO Barry Fisher said: “We’ve been privileged to have managed and developed the CCF on behalf of the Scottish Government for over a decade.

“We’d like to thank all those who have been integral to the success of this ground-breaking fund – the CCF Grant Panel members over the years, our partners, our employees, and most importantly, the CCF communities and people who make them. Without these passionate, inspiring and committed people working tirelessly across Scotland to reduce their impact on the climate CCF would never have been able to generate the legacy that it has.

“We will continue to facilitate and support communities to take climate action, in particular working to realise our ambition of a climate literate country. And as COP26 comes to Glasgow this year, we look forward with hope and ambition.”

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said: “The Climate Challenge Fund has supported many hundreds of communities across the country to take climate action, providing the tools, guidance and resources to inspire thousands of people to learn more about climate change, help reduce emissions and become more climate resilient.

“I am grateful to Keep Scotland Beautiful for the pivotal role it has played in making the Fund such a success. I have no doubt that KSB will continue to drive positive change and help us all achieve a greener, more sustainable future with COP26 as a catalyst for further action.

“The Scottish Government will continue to empower communities to play a leading role in our just transition to net zero, including through new networks of community climate action hubs and Climate Action Towns. 

“If we all play our part, Scotland can show the rest of the world how it’s done – and ensure our people and communities are at the forefront of the transition.“

View the full report and film on the CCF website at:

www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ccf 

Currently funded projects can be found at: 

www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ccfprojectsmap

Five city schools recognised with Eco-Schools Green Flag Awards

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, is delighted to award five schools in Edinburgh City with an Eco-Schools Green Flag.

The international award recognises nurseries and schools which have demonstrated a commitment to the Eco-Schools Scotland programme and over two years have engaged their whole school community in local environmental action.

The five schools are: Brunstane Primary School (which has held a Green Flag since 2016), Liberton Nursery (which has held a Green Flag since 2011), Carrick Knowe Primary School (which has held a Green Flag since 2007), St John’s Primary School (which has held a Green Flag since 2013) and George Heriot’s Junior (a Green Flag school since 2007).

Brunstane Primary School was recognised for carrying out regular community litter picks and forming a pupil parliament group to address road safety concerns near the school. 

Children at Liberton Nursery carried out regular litter picks in the woods where they have nature play time, recorded types of litter in a survey and carried out extensive work on biodiversity. 

Pupils at St. John’s Primary School carried out an anti-litter poster campaign and whole school assembly and organised regular litter picks in a new park near the school ensuring it stays clean and welcoming. They also worked with the Woodland Trust to plant native trees around the school. 

At Carrick Knowe Primary School, pupils organised litter picks with every year group, and ran class workshops on single use plastics.

George Heriot’s pupils increased the effectiveness of the school’s recycling and explored possibilities of hosting renewable energy sources at the school.

Through the Eco-Schools Scotland programme, Keep Scotland Beautiful aims to make environmental awareness and action to tackle climate change an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of schools, for both pupils and for staff. 

The programme provides a framework to engage the wider school community in action and support aligned with the purposes of Curriculum for Excellence and Learning for Sustainability.

To complete the Green Flag journey each school has a choice of ten topics to engage with, from food and the environment, to litter, to energy. The schools also choose one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to link their Eco-Schools work to.

Barry Fisher, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Congratulations to the Eco-Committee, pupils and staff at each of these schools, who have worked so hard schools, who have worked so hard to achieve their Green Flag Award, particularly during a time of unprecedented adjustment and change to education caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. 

“This is a great achievement and testament to the resilience and creativity of both pupils and educators.

“Keep Scotland Beautiful is committed to supporting all our children and young people to develop the capacities, skills and attributes required to protect our planet for the future.”

More information about the world’s largest sustainable schools programme and Eco-Schools Scotland can be found at:  

www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/eco-schools

Climate Challenge: 1.5 Degree films to launch Summer 2021

Youth groups, schools, community organisations, activist groups and individuals of all ages, abilities and filmmaking experience will soon be invited to take part in a major Challenge to create 90‑second short films in response to climate change, to be screened in and around this November’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Led by Film Access Scotland with support from Screen Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful, the Climate Challenge: 1.5 Degree Films project will invite people to make films to share their thoughts and ideas about climate change and how it is affecting us as individuals, our surroundings, families and communities.

Local filmmaking training and support will be provided to groups in Scotland from film educators based in community hubs and within partner arts and cultural organisations. Regardless of background, age or filmmaking experience, anyone anywhere can submit a film to the Challenge, with resources available online to help people get started.

Films must be short, only 1.5 minutes long – like the hoped-for maximum limit on global warming of 1.5 degrees – and can be made using any technology, including smartphones and tablets.

Films will be available online, providing a platform for sharing views on climate change. Many will go on to be screened at fringe events in Glasgow during COP26 and there will be a special celebratory event in December where films will be awarded commendations and prizes.

Submissions from young people aged up to 25 years will automatically be entered into Film Access Scotland’s film festival in November.

Chief Executive of Film Access Scotland, Natalie Usher said “Global leaders will come together in Glasgow at COP26 to discuss urgent climate action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

“This Challenge invites you to make 1.5 minute films to join the climate debate and help us create a collective snapshot of this response to climate change. Through the filmmaking support offered by the project, we want to connect people with arts and community organisations across Scotland in order to facilitate public engagement and awareness about climate change.”

Scott Donaldson, Screen Scotland’s Head of Film Education said: “We all have a huge stake in the outcome of COP26 and everyone has a story to tell about their relationship with the environment and climate crisis.

“Film Access Scotland’s open access Film Challenge will inspire people to learn more about the climate crisis, promote greater public engagement with environmental issues and support people across Scotland to make films and have their voices heard at the COP26 and beyond.”

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “To become a Net Zero Nation, the people of Scotland need to be supported to understand the Climate Emergency and identify actions we can take as individuals and as a nation to tackle it.

“Our experience working with people across Scotland is that ordinary citizens are some of the best climate change communicators, sharing messages in culturally relevant ways that resonate with their own friends, families and communities.

“That’s why we are delighted to be a partner in this project, giving a voice to people across Scotland and encouraging action on climate change at every level.”

If you are a representative of a group based in Scotland that would like to submit your expression of interest in participating, email info@filmaccess.scot.  To keep up to date with latest developments, use #90SecondClimateFilms and visit Film Access Scotland.

Full details about the Climate Challenge: 1.5° Films project including eligibility criteria and submission deadlines will be announced in July 2021.

Janey Godley fronts new litter prevention campaign

Capital backs Scotland is Stunning campaign

The city council is supporting the second phase of the award-wining Scotland is Stunning – Let’s Keep It That Way litter prevention campaign.

First launched last year to coincide with tourism re-opening in Scotland, the campaign by Zero Waste Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government and Keep Scotland Beautiful, aims to raise awareness of the harm done by littering, encouraging Scots to change their habits by taking their litter home or binning it. 

Scotland is Stunning – Let’s Keep It That Way aims to encourage people in Edinburgh who are eager to go out and enjoy Scotland’s natural beauty and wildlife to bin their litter or take it home with them.

Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener, said: “We’re supporting this campaign as Edinburgh is a stunning city and we want to keep it that way.

“If you’re out enjoying our beautiful parks, beaches and other open spaces please respect the environment and other people who love the city as much as we do by picking up after your pooch and binning your litter or taking it home with you.

“It’s more important than ever that we all remember to do this over the summer months when our fantastic city can become very busy. We’re doing our bit by targeting at least ten ‘hot spot’ areas with campaign materials like bin stickers and social media messaging to encourage everyone to keep our much loved Capital city clean.”

The campaign, in which popular Scottish comedian Janey Godley lends her voice to radio and online adverts, reminds Scots out enjoying themselves to leave a green or rural space exactly the way you found it.

Janey Godley, said: “It’s no secret that I love Scotland and all the goings on, and I don’t understand why people would want to destroy our wee beauty spots with their rubbish.

“When I’m taking my wee sausage dog out for a walk or dragging my daughter on a day trip, I don’t want to be dodging coffee cups, plastic water bottles or sandwich packets.

“Take your rubbish home with you or bin it, ye’ve been tellt!”.

As Scotland takes another step back to normality, rural and green spaces and urban parks are expected to see a flurry of visitors in the coming months, raising concerns about littering. In fact, most people in Scotland are concerned about litter levels in their local area, with research carried out by Zero Waste Scotland indicating that a majority (89%) see it as a problem in their area. Recently, a third (34%) of the population have seen an increase in litter since the pandemic.

As well as being an eyesore, dropping litter is a criminal offence. Discarded waste can harm wildlife and be a danger for children.

This campaign also leads the way for behaviour change ahead of the expected ban on certain problematic single-use plastic products. As Scotland moves away from single-use items and increases recycling through the new Deposit Return Scheme for drinks cans and bottles, this will ultimately result in less litter, making a good case for systemic change.

https://youtu.be/mpIwSyFe0QY

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “As restrictions ease and many of us can once again return to our favourite Scottish beauty spots, we are asking everyone to take their litter home or bin it.

“Visitors to green and rural areas will be keen to make up for lost time and we don’t blame them. We’re joining forces with brilliant partners once again to remind everyone to respect our hills, lochs, parks, and woodlands. Now is the time to enjoy the great outdoors but please leave Scotland as stunning as it was when you found it.”

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, said: “We want everyone to have the chance to enjoy Scotland’s stunning outdoors this summer.

“Litter isn’t just an eye sore – it harms our wildlife, contributes to the climate crisis and impacts on our health and wellbeing. To make sure people can enjoy our parks, beaches and countryside after you leave, please put your rubbish in the bin, recycling it if you can.”

Barry Fisher, CEO, Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “We know from our work with communities across Scotland that most people want to do the right thing and take action to make all of Scotland stunning again. 

“Our evidence shows that we’re facing a looming litter emergency across Scotland, so we’re delighted to support this campaign.  We all can, and should, do more to tackle litter. And while some people need to change their behaviour, thousands of people have pledged to litter pick as part of our Summer Clean this month, helping them turn their anger into action.”

The Scotland is Stunning – Let’s Keep It That Way campaign will be rolled out across social media channels and outdoor advertising over the summer holidays. Partners, businesses, local authorities, and community groups are encouraged to download the free campaign toolkit, which includes digital tools and posters.

The campaign will involve close working with partners across different industries, from tourism to transport, building on the strong performance of the initial campaign in 2020, which achieved backing of over 100 organisations and positive feedback from those surveyed.

To support the campaign and encourage others to do the same, please download the campaign toolkit, or visit www.managingourwaste.scot/litter for further details.

My Beach Your Beach campaign returns to Portobello

Environmental charity joins local communities to urge everyone to take better care of the sand and sea

This week, members of Keep Porty Tidy, who are committed to improving Portobello beach, carried out a litter survey to kick off this summer’s My Beach, Your Beach campaign from environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Over 110 items of litter were recorded on 100m of the beach and prom at Portobello, capturing a snapshot of the local beach litter problem prior to the official bathing season start date of 1 June.  

Litter is a key indicator for the My Beach, Your Beach campaign, which encourages beach users to take better care of the sand and sea, supporting efforts to improve bathing water quality, and in turn benefitting the local environment, community, and businesses.

The successful campaign, now in its fourth year, aims to raise awareness of the actions people can take to protect the beach and bathing water – including binning litter or taking it home, ensuring dog poo is picked up and removed, and not feeding the gulls.

Last summer 90% of people visiting Portobello beach said they’d be willing to pick up litter when visiting the beach in order to leave it cleaner than they found it. 

This year, during the Year of Coasts and Waters, the campaign focuses on seven of Scotland’s well-loved beaches that have faced challenges with bathing water quality, as measured by SEPA.

These are:

  • South Beach, Ayr
  • Troon
  • Portobello Beach, Edinburgh
  • Fisherrow Sands, Musselburgh, East Lothian
  • Kinghorn Harbour Beach, Fife
  • Irvine
  • Saltcoats/Ardrossan (new in 2021)

By encouraging better care of the sand and sea, My Beach Your Beach contributes to and supports ongoing works to improve bathing water quality at these sites.

Although last year’s campaign focused mainly on local beach users, this year the campaign will reach out to visitors as well, as lockdown restrictions ease. 

In addition to old campaign favourites like the doggy ambassador competition and #LuckyToLiveHere image gallery, this year’s activities will include litter surveys for people to get involved with, business support packs, a Young Reporters for the Environment competition and educational resources that celebrate the beach.

Georgina Massouraki, Campaigns Officer with Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “Natural spaces like beaches are now more precious than ever, as so many of us have discovered over a year of lockdowns.

“We are encouraging and supporting people to take a more active role in protecting these shared spaces and asking them to consider leaving the beach cleaner, rather than dirtier, than they found it.

“Plan ahead to leave no trace, simply taking an extra bag for your waste can help, and if everyone also picked up a few pieces of litter along the way it would make a massive difference.”

Greta Elliott, Volunteer Manager at Keep Porty Tidy said, “We have benefitted from being part of the campaign since it began four years ago, seeing levels of litter drop between the first two years of campaign activity.

“The beach was very much a local haven during lockdown for many of the community, and we work hard to care for it and keep it nice for everyone.  But there is still a lot of room for improvement, and together with local businesses, the council and the community we are looking forward to welcoming back visitors and supporting them to do the right thing and enjoy, but also respect us and our beach.

Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener, said: “We’re proud of Edinburgh’s beautiful beaches and so we’re supporting this campaign to spread the word – please don’t pollute the sand and sea and help us to keep Porty beach clean.

“Our cleansing teams have worked hard throughout the pandemic to keep Porty and the rest of Edinburgh clean and tidy and we’ve been providing information to make sure people who are #LuckyToLiveHere or visit the beach have a positive experience.

“We’re preparing for a busy summer and would ask everyone visiting the beach to respect our local communities and environment by using the bins provided or by taking your litter home with you.”

The campaign, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by SEPA is being led by Keep Scotland Beautiful to sit alongside its Upstream Battle and Clean Up Scotland campaigns and annual Beach Awards.

Ruth Stidson, Senior Scientist at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said, “Scotland is proud of its stunning coastlines and beautiful beaches. SEPA monitors the water quality across Scotland’s 85 designated bathing waters and supports the MBYB campaign in encouraging people visiting beaches to protect the beach and bathing water.

“Waste from animals or litter isn’t just unsightly but can have a negative impact on the water quality so we encourage the public to follow the advice to take litter home, to clean up after their dogs and to avoid feeding the gulls, ensuring a good beach experience for everyone who visits.”

Find out more about how you can get involved and contribute to the campaign on your local beach at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach  

Come Forth: Treasure Your River!

Scottish communities called on to join UK’s largest ever collaboration to reduce river litter

Keep Scotland Beautiful are delighted to be part of a the new Treasure Your River, campaign, wich launched this week. The campaign will help reduce the huge amount of litter entering the River Forth and subsequently the sea.

We are working with Hubbub to call for businesses, community groups, residents and other organisations situated along the River Forth and its estuary – from Stirling, down to Edinburgh and along the Fife and East Lothian coastline – to get involved.

The campaign will run over the next six months and the programme of activities includes visiting robot boats and a recycled fishing for litter punt, an exciting art installation and litter surveys and clean up activity.

Organisations across the UK, including the Angling Trust, Scottish Canals, Canal & River Trust, Keep Wales Tidy, Mersey Rivers Trust, Sustainable Hive, Thames 21, The Rivers Trust and companies like Coca-Cola and Costa have already pledged to do their bit.  Now, in Scotland we are on the look-out for volunteers to support the campaign.

In 2019, Hubbub’s polling1 found that 75% of UK adults wanted to do more to help tackle marine litter. After a year of lockdown people’s appreciation of nature has risen further and Treasure Your River will provide more opportunities for people around the UK to get involved and help protect our rivers and seas.

Treasure Your River will engage the public on how they can make a difference through simple changes such as taking their rubbish home with them, providing tools and guidance for litter picks and responsible disposal of fishing tackle. 

As well as tackling littering behaviour with eye-catching bins and activities, the campaign aims to create a legacy for each river, with an army of regular volunteers and litter-clearing infrastructure.    

Barry Fisher, KSB CEO said: “We’re delighted to be working with Hubbub to bring ‘Treasure Your River’ to the communities along the River Forth. This exciting campaign complements our source-to-sea litter activity on other iconic Scottish rivers. 

“Our data shows that we are facing a litter emergency in Scotland, and with 80% of marine litter coming from land, often via our waterways, we are looking forward to collaborating with others across the UK to tackle this global issue.

“Increasing awareness of lockdown litter levels have galvanised action across Scotland and we have seen an upsurge in positive activity as people pledge to litter pick the places they love – now we’re eager to build on this by supporting those living and working along the Forth to unite with others to take collective action to stop litter entering the sea via the river and its tributaries.”

Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-founder of Hubbub said: “As lockdown restrictions are lifted there is increased concern about the amount of litter in our public and green spaces. Treasure Your River aims to make the connection between litter in our towns and cities and plastic in the oceans, and to offer people something positive they can do about it.

“The majority of plastics in the oceans are carried there by rivers; the River Mersey for example has proportionately higher levels of microplastic pollution than the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. We invite any individual or organisations along these rivers to come together and help halt the flow of litter into the sea. 

“There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a local business, a sailing club, a school, a charity or a resident.”  

Treasure Your River aims to be the UK’s largest ever collaborative effort to prevent and reduce the amount of litter in our waterways, tackling six of the UK’s largest river systems: the Avon, Forth, Mersey, Severn, Thames and Trent and their tributaries. 

The campaign is being run by environmental charity Hubbub with funding from the Coca-Cola Foundation. It will initially focus on preventing litter from entering the rivers and clean-up activities in seven major cities based on these rivers and the waterways that flow into them – Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Nottingham, which between them are home to 1 in 6 of the UK population. 

Check out our Treasure Your River webpage for more details. 

Edinburgh children bloom in Pocket Garden challenge

Pupils from eight Edinburgh schools have shown their budding design skills by winning the nationwide Pocket Garden Design Competition, run by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.

The eight schools are: Cowgate Under 5s Centre, Duddingston Primary, Hillwood Primary, Murrayburn Early Years Campus, Summerside Kindergarten, Castlebrae Community High School, Greenbank Pre-School, and Dean Park Primary.

During 2020 and 2021, 230 entries were received from 22 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas. The winning schools received the opportunity to build and grow their designs to appear in a digital showcase.

Children, from as young as three, were challenged to design a colourful and sustainable garden that could feature at the Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace in late May.

Sadly, the show has had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions but the winning schools are still growing and building their gardens and these finished gardens will be available to view in an online showcase, where the nation will also be able to vote for their favourite Pocket Garden.

Following the great success of five previous Pocket Garden competitions in past years, schools from across Scotland were encouraged to take part and develop designs for a tiny garden which reflects the four interlinked 2021 themes.

These themes include The Year of Coasts and Waters, One Planet Picnic, Wildlife Gardening and Celebrating Nature on our Doorstep.

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Many people rediscovered a connection to nature on their doorsteps during lockdown, and the competition has encouraged young people to celebrate that through their designs. 

“We are delighted that schools and young people are finding the benefits of this competition in learning and teaching about issues that are important to them.  The Pocket Garden designs we received were practical, creative, challenging, sustainable and full of fun!”

Anthony McCluskey, Chair of the Garden for Life Forum, who was involved in the judging, said: “Nature is in crisis, but we can all do our bit to help wildlife in our local areas.

“Even small gardens and growing spaces can make a great contribution to supporting populations of insects like bees and butterflies, and provide homes and food for birds, hedgehogs, and amphibians. Getting close to nature is great for our mental wellbeing too, so everyone wins when we grow for wildlife.”

The winning Pocket Gardens will be available to view in the digital showcase from Saturday 5 June at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden. Voting for the nation’s favourite Pocket Garden will be open from 5 – 13 June.

Keep Scotland Beautiful: Give your litter a lift!

Scotland is a beautiful country. Our roads are how we travel and explore it. So we know that as travel restrictions ease this Friday, individuals and families across Scotland will be excited about exploring our countryside, parks and beaches once again.

Over recent years our annual litter surveys have highlighted that our throw-away society has resulted in an increase in litter nationally and many of our roadsides are blighted by a jumble of cans, bottles, cups, crisp packets, and food wrappers, tubs and boxes, flung from the windows of passing vehicles.

As travel restrictions are lifted this weekend, it is more important than ever that we all play our part in looking after our country and our roadsides. 

Catherine Gee, KSB’s Deputy Chief Executive said: “Prior to lockdown more than 50 tonnes of litter was thrown onto Scotland’s roadsides each month. 

“This litter is difficult, dangerous and expensive to clean up and ruins the view for locals and visitors alike – with 91% of people believing roadside litter creates a negative impression of our country.

“During lockdown our polling indicated that 30% of people believed the overall condition of their local neighbourhoods had deteriorated. 

“Over the last twelve months local authorities and road operating companies across the country have been under pressure to adapt services due to the health crisis and prioritise essential services to protect public health.

“Now, as we emerge from lockdown, we want to work with all of the main stakeholders – the road operating companies with responsibility for litter removal on the motorways about their deep cleans scheduled for this spring and summer, local authorities who have responsibility for all other roads, and retailers – about possible interventions we can support them with to raise awareness of the illegal behaviour of tossing litter from a vehicle and the impact it has on our environment.”

Litter ruins the view for locals and visitors alike. It is harmful to wildlife and environmental quality.

With our Summer Clean coming up between May 28 and June 20 we are asking people across Scotland to pledge to pick up litter, but cleaning up on the roadsides is dangerous – cleaning up is not the answer, prevention is.

You can download our campaign materials so that you can also spread the message and help us clean up Scotland. 

The solution is simple, we need to encourage everyone to: Give your litter a lift, take it home!

Help Scotland become more climate and nature friendly

Get your corner of Scotland buzzing!

Community groups across Edinburgh are being invited by environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, to register and take part in the 2021 Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood initiatives.

Run by the charity in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the initiatives provide the opportunity for volunteers and groups to gain recognition for their efforts to protect and enhance their local places.

With 2021 being a big year for action on climate change and protecting biodiversity, the optional theme is ‘climate and nature friendly’ and all groups that register to participate will receive free pollinator-friendly seeds to help create blooming beautiful and #BeeDiverse places.

Last year, despite the challenges, the achievements of 200 groups across the country were supported and celebrated.  Many of those participating in the initiatives developed new ways of ensuring that the places they care about were looked after under the three pillars of community participation, environmental responsibility and gardening/horticultural achievement.

Catherine Gee, Deputy CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “We are facing a climate and nature emergency, but our research has shown that in the last year over 40% of people have spent more time using outside space in their neighbourhoods, reconnecting with the environment and their communities. 

“We’re looking forward to welcoming people from well-established groups, through to those just starting out, as they register for free support through the Beautiful Scotland or It’s Your Neighbourhood initiatives this year.

“As a thank you for all that volunteers are doing across the country we will send out pollinator seeds to those who register to help create an extra buzz as we collectively work to make Scotland clean, green and sustainable for nature and people.”   

Janet McArthur from Friends of Starbank Park said: “Being part of the network of community groups with an interest in enhancing neighbourhoods across Scotland has, particularly over the last year, given us inspiration, reassurance, recognition and a connection with others working towards the same goal.

Since we first got involved in It’s Your Neighbourhood six years ago, we’ve benefited from mentoring visits, newsletters, ongoing support from the team and, in addition last year, from online networking and celebration events and helpful Q&A sessions. I’d encourage those looking for a wee bit of support to get involved and give it a go.”

To widen the appeal this year, we have introduced a non-judged category to Beautiful Scotland for those groups who would like to take part but feel the competition element is too much for them at this time.

Registration for Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood is open until 30 April 2021 and more information can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org

Budding garden designers invited to enter exciting competition

Pocket garden challenge launched

Budding garden designers are invited to enter exciting competition

A nationwide competition has been launched by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful to find pupils from across Scotland to participate in the sixth annual Pocket Garden Design Competition.

Children, from as young as three, are being challenged to design a colourful and sustainable garden that could feature at the Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace in late May if restrictions allow, and if not in an interactive online garden showcase.

Many people have found joy as they rediscovered the nature on their doorsteps during lockdown, and the competition encourages young people to celebrate that through their designs.

Following the great success of Pocket Gardens in past years, schools from across Scotland are being encouraged to take part and develop designs for a tiny garden which reflect the four interlinked 2021 themes.

These themes include The Year of Coasts and Waters, One Planet Picnic, Wildlife Gardening and Health and Wellbeing through noticing nature.

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It’s a great competition with new opportunities!  This year an Activities at Home sheet is available to inspire children to get involved while learning at home.  

“We are excited to work with Scotland’s brand-new national gardening event – The Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace – to celebrate and share the innovation and creativity of Scotland’s young garden designers.

“This competition over the years has inspired entries from across the country and we hope that in 2021 it gives parents and educators a new focus as we continue a blended mix of home and in school learning.”

 Anthony McCluskey, Chair of the Garden for Life Forum, who will be involved in the judging, said: “2020 winners, that were not able to display their pocket gardens last year when the event was cancelled due to lockdown, will join winning Pocket Gardens from 2021. 

“Double joy – winning designs from two years to see!”

Brian Cunningham, Head Gardener at Scone Palace and organiser of The Scottish Garden Show, commented: “One of the aims of The Scottish Gardens Show is to showcase approaches to gardening that benefit the health of both people and the planet and it is crucial to involve children and young people as part of the life blood of the show.  

“The Pocket Gardens are a perfect fit and I’m looking forward to the inspiration and fun they will bring to the show.”

Pupils are invited to submit their entries no later than 17 March 2021 to oneplanetpicnic@keepscotlandbeautiful.org. 

Further information and inspiration from past years can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden