A small team of residents is taking steps to make Shildon litter free.
Organising various meet ups, the group of locals clear routes and areas of litter dropped by people uncaring of the town in which they live.
Litter Free Shildon, a Facebook group run by John Wilson, posts pictures of piles of bags bursting at the seams with collected rubbish.
Speaking to the Crier, John said: “I’ve been litter picking for years in and around the area, but realised as the rubbish began mounting up, that I needed help and that’s where the idea of the group began.
“I hated seeing hedgerows crammed with rubbish and litter strewn across scenic walks so I decided to do something about it.
“Our last litter pick saw us clear 21 bags full of rubbish, including a haul of discarded gas canisters, from the trail behind Braithwait Street.
“Sadly we have many more areas we would like to tackle but need more volunteers to help us with that.”
Susan Luckhurst, who volunteers with the group, explained how much litter can affect the environment: “We find all sorts just carelessly thrown away and some which will never biodegrade like disposable vapes, food packets, takeaway wrappers and dog poo bags.”
The small team, whose youngest member, Joseph is just five years old, are calling for families and volunteers to join them on Sunday 23 March at 10am for their next litter pick.
Anyone interested who has even a small amount of time to spare should congregate at 10am in the car park opposite Mr V’s Shildon Stores.
All tools and bags are provided on the day.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
