SCOUTS and WI members wished Happy Birthday to her Majesty by making Wyke rubbish free.

Dozens of Scouts, together with members of the local Women’s Institute branch, spent Saturday morning doing a ‘Clean for the Queen event’ in Wyke Regis.

Scouts brandishing litter pickers and plastic refuse sacks got stuck in, ensuring that not a scarp of litter was left around the Foords Corner area.

WI members started their clean at Ferrybridge and the two groups met in the middle of Portland Road at the WI Hall for biscuits and drink, kindly donated by the Co-op.

The sunshine blazed down of the group as they set to work to do their good deed on St George’s Day.

Assistant Scout Leader Simon Gill said that the little pick was part of the group’s work, leading up to their World Challenge Award.

He said: “The Scouts have to get the nine challenges to get the gold chief scout award.” As part of the award the Scout have to get involved in an environmental campaign.

On Sunday the group were on parade for St George’s Day.

Mr Gill said: “St George is the patron saint of scouting, that’s why it’s so important to us.”

Adrian Parry, the Scout Leader, said the group had done a litter pick earlier in the month along Ferry Bridge towards the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. The group collected 10 bags of rubbish.

He said: “We like to support the local community and wanted to do something for the Queen to celebrate her 90th.”

The group was joined by a special guest, French Scout Laure Bondu, 18, who had travelled from Paris to spend time in the area and improve her English.

She said she was excited to be part of the litter picking event, adding: “It’s funny for me because I’m a Scout in France and I love this type of community thing.”

Alice Raynes, 13, from the Weymouth South Scout Group, said her favourite part of being a Scout was the camping and the outdoor activities.

She said: “It’s just fun.”

Assistant Scout Leader Denise Hepburn said the Scouts would be out doing more litter picking in the community over the next few weeks, including at the old Thornlow Preparatory School site and at All Saints School.

Kate Wheller, is the district chairman of the local Scouts, she said they had picked up a lot of plastic bottles on their clean-up.

She said the Wyke Society often cleaned up the Foords Corner area and it was “extraordinary” the amount of rubbish they found there.

She praised the work of the WI, the Scouts and thanked the Co-op for providing the refreshments.

For more information, or to volunteer with the Scouts, visit weymouthandportlandscouts.org.uk

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830981

e: catherine.bolado

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @DorsetEchoCB