On Tuesday 16 March, Salford Litter Heroes took on the challenge of clearing litter from Lower Broughton Road and the surrounding streets.
Salford Litter Heroes is a new campaign founded by 22-year-old Danielle Wright that aims to eradicate litter in Salford and encourage more people in Salford to challenge litter issues.
Danielle said: “I’ve not been living here long but it’s a juxtaposition to where I’ve previously lived which was quite green and clean.
“I came here and it was a little bit of a shock and I thought ‘there’s so much litter here and I want to do something about it’.
“I did a bit of research and I thought this was a great way to solve the problem.”
The group of volunteers managed to clear a total of 18 bags of litter in just three hours.
In Salford, anyone from age 14 and above who drops litter in a public place or private place that is in the open air could face a £150 fine.
Danielle explained: “In my opinion it’s laziness, because everyone always has a pocket, the things you find are bottles and wrappers, they’re not that heavy to keep in your pocket.
“Maybe it’s social awareness and people don’t realise the impact of it and where it goes afterwards.”
Mike Fairhurst, one of the volunteers on the day, found the event on Facebook through the Keep Manchester Tidy Facebook group.
He said: “It’s round the corner from me so I just thought I’d come and join. The area is a bit untidy and it could do with a bit of a spruce so I decided to do it.”
Please can the resident that has parked their fridge on the road, please park it in an authorised parking spot, such as the waste centre at Lumms Lane #NotTheSpiritOfSalford pic.twitter.com/T9dN77uTpd
— SalfordLitterHeroes (@SalfordHeroes) April 9, 2019
The Salford Volunteer Rangers regularly host events across greenspaces in Salford that volunteers can get involved with.
Mike Faulkner, part of the Salford Volunteer Rangers, explained that he wanted to help out to support Danielle.
He explained: “She seemed really determined to succeed, she’s passionate about conservation, so I just thought I’d support her.
“Trying to find individuals who have got the drive to do something, they are a bit thin on the ground really.
“So, I think when you find one you’ve got to latch onto them and try to support this person, and make it a brand name”
Danielle is planning some more Salford Litter Heroes events in partnership with the Salford Volunteer Rangers in Salford’s greenspaces, but she hopes to focus more on the streets.
She added: “I’m mainly focusing on the streets because that’s where I’ve seen a lot of fly tipping and people don’t really associate the streets as an actual place, but I think they’re important.”
To find out when the next litter picking event will take place follow Salford Litter Heroes on Facebook and join their Facebook group.
If you spot a litter problem you can report it to Salford City Council here or let the Salford Litter Heroes know and they can look into arranging a litter picking event in the area.
All image credit Chloe Deakin.
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