The next big event for Keep Christchurch Beautiful, a voluntary organisation supported by the Council, is the Annual Gigantic Beach Clean Up on 28 November.

Last year more than 1300 children from invited schools near beaches took part in the clean up.

After their hard work they sculpted sand and wrote environmental messages in the sand, using shells, seaweed and driftwood.

Currently (18 to 24 September) many groups are taking part in Clean Up the World, another environmental campaign coordinated in Christchurch by KCB’s executive committee.

The organisation’s education committee is updating teacher resource kits on tidiness and waste management and these will be available in October/ November. This committee is also responsible for the Schools Environmental Enhancement Programme (in its seventh year), which encourages schools to keep their grounds clean and attractive.

Thirty- four schools have registered with the programme this year and they will be visited on two occasions by an assessor from Christchurch North Lions Club and assessed in one or more of the following categories:

• Schools environmental award
• Caretakers award
• Community pride.

Keep Christchurch Beautiful was originally established to reduce litter however it has grown to work on waste minimisation in general and other environmental issues. The Council provides an annual grant, an office and a co- ordinator.