Tipton Litterwatch is a small citizenship-based environmental  charity that began in the earlymonths of 1997 to help Tipton residents tackle their environmental concerns. By citizenship based we mean that Litterwatch exists largely to promote and support local people to exercise their rights in dealing with litter and environmental problems; using the 1990 Environmental  Protection  Act. 

Tipton Litterwatch assists local people by supplying information, advice and support on how to report environmental problems to the  relevant individual, landowner or authority responsible for clearing it up; making sure they carry out their legal obligations.

As well as the tuition of adults, our main focus lies  with educating children. This is conducted in Sandwell schools via our  environmental education programme 'Think Before You Throw'. Under the key  topic areas of Litter, Recycling and Waste Management 'Think Before You Throw' presents a  ready made programme of environmental study to schools, for both teachers and  pupils comprising of lesson plans, pupil worksheets, in school activities,  environmental competitions and an schools user password. Our programme offers encouragement and engages the whole school in developing awareness and  respect for the  environment, as well as teaching the importance of sustainable  living.

The programme is playing a fundamental role in many of the borough's primary and secondary schools, providing them with a ready made resource of environmental lessons, worksheets and activities which both encourage children to develop awareness and respect for their local environment. The most effective way of implementing 'Think Before You Throw' comes in  two stages: 

Stage 1: By conducting a training session on  the programme at each school, usually involving one or two staff members. This  person(s) then becomes the main coordinator of 'Think Before You Throw' for their  school and therefore is able to introduce, adapt and develop the programme as  they wish. Each coordinator will also receive a unique user password to our  website. 

Stage 2: By providing schools with the option of having supplementary environmental activities like assemblies, in class  workshops, litter picks, competitions, development of eco and litter squads,  waste audits etc. All these free services are conducted by Litterwatch in the certainty of providing schools with environmental longevity. 

In conjunction with the programme Tipton Litterwatch also  created several  awards to reward Sandwell schools for their  environmental efforts. These include a  'Think Before You Throw'  School Status Scheme, a Tidy School Award, an Environmental Schools Award and a  Environmental Champions Award. 

Additional Information:

1. While the charity is small with only two paid employees and all trustee voluntary, Tipton Litter Watch's strong partnerships young people, with the public sector, local and national business organisations, the Sandwell community and individual schools enable its work to extend into all areas of the borough of Sandwell, covering the six towns of Tipton, Wednesbury, West Bromwich, Oldbury, Smethwick and Rowley Regis.

 

2.Tipton Litter Watch has gained recognition from a range of national organisations including Campaign To Protect Rural England, CIWM, DEFRA, Encams, Litteraction, National Association of Environmental Education, Ofsted and the Department for Children, Schools and Families and as won the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, a Shining Star, PRide Award, Total Green School Award and have been national finalists in LGC, Sustainable Communities, APSE, Third Sector Excellence Awards.

 

3. Since 2005, the charity has litter picked with over 20,000 young people throughout the borough of Sandwell as part of their 'TBYT' programme.

 

4. Tipton Litter Watch is commissioned annually as part of Sandwell's Children and Young People's Trust Partnership.

 

5. Tipton Litter Watch also co-manage Sandwell Council's award winning 'Big Spring Clean' every April.

Since its launch in 2007, 8,500 young people from 93 Sandwell schools have been involved in the campaign.

For more information about Tipton  Litterwatch and the'Think Before You Throw' programme please contact

Lindsay Richmond on  0121 557 6001,  email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it