Message in a plastic bottle to clean up Mid Wales town
Alarming images of discarded plastics polluting our oceans horrified millions of viewers when they were broadcast on David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II series.
Many were so alarmed by the state of our seas and rivers that they felt a moral obligation to respond to Attenborough’s call to action by actually doing something positive to tackle the issue.
One is Philip Stallard from Llanidloes who has launched the ‘Message in a Bottle’ campaign to clean up the town and the upper reaches of the River Severn and roll the project downstream, from source to sea.
On Saturday he is planning a series an event to launch the campaign, which he hopes will spread to every town and village downstream on the River Severn.
The campaign has won the support of town and county councils, businesses, schools, organisations and residents of Llanidloes, the first town on the river.
Mr Stallard has enlisted the support of Llanidloes and Trefeglwys Primary Schools with the aim of assembling more than 300 children and their families at Llanidloes Football Club on June 30 where they will sing their own version of the Police hit, ‘Message in a Bottle’.
Children and adults will then travel in an open topped, double-decker bus by Celtic Travel to different parts of Llanidloes to pick litter. They are also each writing their own message in a plastic bottle that will be turned into a giant jellyfish that will go on display in the community centre.
Teenager are also getting involved, picking litter from a mile length of the Severn, with support from Llanidloes Rugby Club, local musicians, DJs and Llanidloes Canoe Club.
"We want to reduce the use of plastics in Llanidloes, get the whole community on board to make the town litter free and to educate children and adults not to drop litter which ends up in the river and, ultimately, the sea," Philip said.
Councillor Janet Crisp, Mayor of Llanidloes, is inviting the mayors of dozen towns downstream of Llanidloes on the Severn to attend the launch together with the mayors of Rhayader and Builth Wells, which are located on the River Wye.
Llanidloes Primary School children are being asked to each write their own message in a bottle about plastic pollution. The bottles will be used to make a giant jellyfish created by the children which will be on display in Llanidloes Community Centre. The Marine Conservation Society will also hold workshops at the school.
