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Celebration event planned for 10th anniversary of Big Dee Day
Published: 05/08/2016
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Big Dee Day, the annual clean-up along the
banks of the River Dee, a special event will be held to celebrate everything
connected with the river and its communities, past and present.
The REALLY Big Dee Day will be held at Edgar鈥檚 Field Park in Handbridge,
Chester on Saturday, 17 September from 11am to 3pm.
This family event has been organised through a collaboration across the
boundary between Wales and England for the benefit of all the local communities
living beside the river. It will see organisations and groups from across
Cheshire West and North Wales come together to celebrate the occasion with
activities and displays for everyone to enjoy.
The annual Big Dee Day clean-up, organised by Cheshire West and Chester
Council, 天涯社区 Council, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources
Wales, promises to be bigger and better than ever for its 10 year anniversary.
Councillor Aaron Shotton, Leader of 天涯社区 said: 鈥溙煅纳缜�
County Council is proud to be involved in celebrating the tenth anniversary of
the Big Dee Day.
鈥淪ince its inception in 2007, more and more businesses, community groups and
volunteers are getting involved and I would like acknowledge their invaluable
assistance in helping to keep our coastline clean for visitors and wildlife.鈥�
Cheshire West and Chester Council Council Leader, Councillor Samantha Dixon
said:
鈥淚鈥檝e been involved with Big Dee Day for some years now and, as the number of
volunteers and partners grows, it鈥檚 developed from litter picking along the
banks of the Dee to include bulb planting, bench painting and the maintenance
of hedges, paths and trees.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fitting that for the 10th anniversary we are holding a celebration event
to bring together individuals, organisations and businesses that have a
connection with our wonderful river.
鈥淚 hope as many people as possible will be able to come along to join the
celebration.鈥�
Carys Bebb, Environment Officer for Natural Resources Wales, said:
鈥淭he River Dee is such an important resource for us in north Wales and we work
hard to protect it.
鈥淚t provides drinking water for millions of people, is a great habitat for
wildlife with salmon migrating here to spawn and supports industry across the
area.
鈥淚t is also a somewhere for people to go and enjoy our natural environment so
the Big Dee Day is really important to keep it clean and rubbish free.鈥�
Jo Holden, Catchment Coordinator for the Environment Agency said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 really
important for people to be able to enjoy the outdoor space they have access to.
That鈥檚 why last year we created a new footpath for residents from Blacon to
access Greyhound Retail Park. This year we鈥檙e going to be doing some general
maintenance, removing litter from the area and making it even better!鈥�
More than 157 bags of litter plus 18 large items - including shopping trolleys,
bikes, plastic chairs, a toilet cistern and a compositing bin - were collected
during last year鈥檚 event in Cheshire West.
Although parking is limited in Handbridge, Edgar鈥檚 Field Park is just a short
walk from the centre of city. Information about parking, bus timetables and
the new cross-city park and ride service can be found on the Cheshire West and
Chester Council website: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.
Notes to editors:
The Big Dee Day has been an annual event since 2007. The idea first began on
Talacre beach when 天涯社区 Countryside Service and partners BHP Billiton,
Presthaven Sands, Talacre Beach Club, the local community and Natural Resources
Wales decided to survey the beach to help highlight marine litter and the
damage it can do. Since then, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Denbighshire
County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Wirral Borough Council, the
Environment Agency and Snowdonia National Park, plus many other volunteers and
local businesses 鈥� including Airbus, Kingspan and Kimberley Clark 鈥� have also
got involved and the event has gone from strength to strength.