Tidy Our Town: ‘Litter picking is the best therapy I’ve ever had – your mind gets cleaned as well’
An avid litter picker has praised being part of the Northants Litter Wombles as “the best therapy” he has ever had, as your mind gets cleansed as well as the environment.
In the fourth instalment of the week to mark one year of the Chronicle & Echo’s Tidy Our Town campaign, we spoke to volunteer Roman Turek.
Roman has been a litter picker for more than three years after he decided to combine his passion for the environment with his love for going on walks.
He does not drive and had always enjoyed this form of exercise, even prior to the pandemic. However, it was during the uncertain period when he acted on his disappointment caused by seeing so much litter.
It was in July 2021 when Roman joined the Northants Litter Wombles, and he has collected hundreds of bags of litter by himself in the Delapre Park and Far Cotton area since then.
“There’s a sense of community,” said Roman. “When organising a group pick, people from all over the town come to help. People travel miles, such as from Daventry, and we go and help their area too. It’s amazing.”
As they are all working towards the same goal, Roman shared that volunteers often become friends outside of litter picking – particularly as they share a love of nature.
Roman, who has lived in Northampton since he moved to the UK more than 18 years ago, continued: “I always say the main aim of litter picking is to clear the environment, but it’s the best therapy I’ve ever had. We all find it very addictive, and your mind gets cleaned as well as the environment.
“It is an absolutely amazing feeling to work towards a shared goal. The more people who join, the more people realise it isn’t difficult – and that they can help, and it can help them.”
When asked how easy it is for people to get involved in litter picking, Roman said: “It takes one click. Find our Facebook page and it has all the information you need. We’re all very welcoming and helpful – it’s how I started.”
If you would like to get involved in the Tidy Our Town campaign, established in collaboration with the Northants Litter Wombles, email [email protected].