Great Borders River Clean set to take place this weekend

Melrose schoolteacher Tom Rawson is once again rallying his troops to clear the region's rivers.

With hundreds of volunteers taking part in more than 20 Borders towns and communities, the Great Borders River Clean has grown into Scotland’s biggest such project.

However, the organiser of the Great Borders River Clean, Melrose schoolteacher and founder of GreenTweed Eco, Tom Rawson, explained that he has even bigger plans for this month’s edition.

He told us: “I started the Great Borders River Clean a few years ago with the idea of involving as many people in as many communities as possible to help clean our region’s waterways of rubbish and pollution.

"We have been incredibly successful on both fronts with more than 2,000 volunteers clearing over 10,000kg of rubbish from the Tweed system.

Furthermore, Tom has started a Borders primary schools eco competition to encourage the participation of children across the region.

He added: “This month, I really want to engage young people. Children are the future guardians of the natural world and enthusing and inspiring them to care for the wild spaces around them is crucial.

"I have therefore raised £500 as a prize fund to reward those primary schools that actively take part in the Great Borders River Clean and undertake art, writing or other projects inspired by it. “

Details of confirmed meeting points and times can be found via Tom’s website www.greentweedeco.org/projects