Far Cotton Litter Pickers striving to make community ‘greener, cleaner and safer’

A group of residents in Northampton are aiming to create a “cleaner community” through litter picking.

Far Cotton Litter Pickers was set up in 2016 by local residents, John Bright and Jill Harris, who became councillors for Far Cotton and Delapre Community Council in 2021. The group meets once a month and on Saturday (April 15) the team collected 10 bags of waste.

Councillor John Bright said: “We take pride in our area in Far Cotton. We want to create a greener, cleaner and safer community for everybody to be proud of.”

Each month up to 20 residents help keep the area clean. In 2022, the group collected around 120 bags of waste.

Cllr Bright added that there are more than just environmental benefits to litter picking.

He said: “Sometimes people will come from the same street, but might live at either end, so litter picking is a good way for people to get to know each other.

“It's good for social cohesion that people from all sorts of backgrounds come and join us.

“Some people have been living in Far Cotton for 30 or 40 years while others have only been here for a shorter amount of time. However it is great to see people coming together for the benefit of the environment.”

The group says it is important for the younger generations to get involved too.

Cllr Harris added: “I think it's important that children come along because if they litter pick when they're children, they're less likely to litter or fly tip when they're older so it’s promoting good behaviour amongst the kids.”

For more information about the group and when they meet, visit their Facebook page here.