Mosque volunteers join the litter battle

VOLUNTEERS from more than 250 mosques took part in litter clean-ups yesterday as part of Great British Spring Clean, which the Daily Mail is promoting in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy.

It came a week before national ‘Visit My Mosque’ day on March 3, where people of all beliefs are encouraged to go and visit their local mosque. Harun Khan, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: ‘Whatever faith or background you come from, care and cleanliness for our local environment is a unifying force that brings communities together.’

He added: ‘We are pleased to be supporting Keep Britain Tidy in their Great British Spring Clean campaign,’ saying he hoped it would ‘spark conversations’ on what ‘faith-based and community groups’ can do for the environment.

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: ‘We are delighted for the support of over 250 mosques getting out early and hope to see many more turn out again in spring!’ About 25 million tonnes of litter is dropped annually in Britain, costing taxpayers over £1billion.

Doing their bit: Four volunteers join a litter-picking event in East London as hundreds get involved across the nation