Unfortunately the supporting charities have decided to cut funding to the Folkestone town sprucers, the unsung heroes that help keep the residential and outlying areas of our beautiful seaside haven clean and tidy.

The scheme offered a valuable resource to the town, and an effective way of helping those most vulnerable recover from addiction and other afflictions. Some days they would collect up to 30 bags of rubbish from our streets, and would help clean graffiti and repair vandalised areas and bring them back into public use.

Those involved in the scheme include people who have suffered from addiction and the homeless, offering them a practical way of enhancing life skills and helping re-integrate them back into society. 

The scheme costs just £20-30k in expenditure as those involved in it are often volunteers. Folkestone is a growing town and this would be easily met by council tax revenue, especially from new developments at shoreline and the recently approved harbour arm project.

Would you visit an untidy town? The financial benefit of tourism to the local economy is estimated to be £268m, and the loss of the effect the town sprucers have had could be detrimental to the local economy, and the many independent business that we love in the old high street and creative quarter.

We ask Folkestone town council and the wider government to back the town sprucers. and give them the financial backing and investment they deserve to continue to enhance lives and the local environment, and protect the local economy and local businesses