Pauline Farman, order a dedicated volunteer, has pledged to make her neighbourhood a litter-free zone.
When she retired three years ago – after working as a teacher and a dispenser in a doctor’s surgery – Pauline planned to take long walks in the Perrott’s Brook and Daglingworth area, and felt that it would benefit the community if she could also use the time to collect litter. As a result, she carries out litter picks about twice a week, and derives great satisfaction from her campaign:
“I get a fantastic reaction from the public when they see me out on my rounds improving their environment. I meet lots of very nice people and the police often stop to thank me and check that I am ok. Cotswold District Council’s waste company Ubico has provided me with a huge supply of black refuse bags and collects them from my home when they are filled. Additionally, Amey gave me an excellent high visibility jacket to improve my safety, so I know that I have good support from local businesses.”
Naturally, she would welcome the prospect of more volunteers picking up litter elsewhere in the District:
“I would love to see others following my lead in other neighbourhoods. In particular, I think the younger generation can play a vital role in educating their elders about the anti-social nature of littering and how it blights the environment. If we can get this message across to school age children, I believe they can influence others to change their attitude.”
Cllr Sue Coakley, the Cabinet Member for the Environment at Cotswold District Council, is full of praise for Pauline:
“Pauline deserves a huge ‘thank you’ from the Council and we are right behind her efforts to combat littering. I’ve taken part in a few litter picks myself and I know that it’s hard work but incredibly satisfying when you can see a visible improvement to the landscape. In a perfect world, there would be no need for anyone to undertake this clean-up activity, but littering is on the increase in this country and it’s important to publicise the efforts of people like Pauline to counter this dreadful and totally unnecessary trend.”
Anyone who wants to know more about starting a litter pick should contact Cotswold District Council on 01285 623000 – we can provide instructions, gloves, high visibility jackets and waste bags, ensuring that volunteer activity is carried out safely and effectively. Pauline is also willing to tell schools and societies about her work – contact press@cotswold.gov.uk for more details. You can also consult the Keep Britain Tidy website which provides good information about getting involved as a volunteer http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/531(opens in a new window)