GORDON HENDERSON MP

9th September 2010
Litter Attacked

A local art centre has created a garden made entirely out of litter and rubbish. The garden, created by artists Sioux Peto and Colin Barnard, was opened by Deputy Mayor Ben Stokes and MP Gordon Henderson in a ceremony last Friday night (3rd September).

Mr Henderson and Ms Peto also used the evening to launch this year’s Litter Angels competition, which will see local youngsters being asked to design an anti-litter poster and to make works of art from litter and other rubbish.

Sioux Peto and Colin Barnard got the idea for the garden earlier this year when they saw how so much of our public land was being polluted by an endless flow of litter.

The pair said said:

“This project is to create awareness about littering. Nature is a forgiving and beneficial force that supports and gives us life, but we humans are abusing it.

“Nature takes waste that we leave in our streets and countryside back into itself; it absorbs the chemical and poisons, but for how long?

“The garden we have created represents what might be our future; mutated growths that will replace and choke vegetation, growing everywhere and over everything.

“We are grateful for Swale Borough Council for assisting us in our project.”

Mr Henderson explained why he was supporting the Polka Dot’s efforts:

“Litter is the single biggest blight on our local environment and I think the vast majority of people are fed up with the rubbish that is strewn across our streets and green spaces. I simply cannot comprehend the mentality of people who prefer to drop their empty takeaway wrappers and Coke cans on the pavement, rather than put them in the nearest litter bin.

“This project by Sioux and Colin is not only visually stunning, but it carries a very important message; abuse our local environment at your peril.

“It is because that message fits in with the aims of our annual Litter Angels competition that Sioux and I decided to launch this year’s competition at the same time as the garden was opened.

“We are hugely grateful to county councillors Kent Pugh and Mike Whiting for using some of their KCC community allowance to sponsor a series of school workshops that will help us educate local youngsters to the importance of keeping our streets and countryside clean.

“We would like to thank also local fast food chain MacDonalds, who have funded this year’s prizes and our printing. They often receive unjustified criticism, but their involvement in Litter Angels shows their community commitment.”