Tidy Our Town: ‘We might only have six people but that’s six more who are picking litter than before’
A litter picker emphasised that although there are six dedicated volunteers in her area, they make a much bigger difference than if nothing was being done at all.
Sally Jordan has been the chairperson of the Ecton Brook Residents Group since 2017, which is also when she started regularly litter picking the area.
Having lived there since 2010, Sally’s main reason for taking action is that she wanted to feel pride in where she lives and she refused to let it become a “landfill site”.
Sally, her husband Danny, their friends Doug and Dorothy Harvey and two others make up the Ecton Brook Clean Up Crew, which first took off after the pandemic restrictions were eased.
They regularly let the 2,000 members of the residents’ Facebook group know much they have cleared, while encouraging them to get involved by highlighting the grotspots.
The team managed to collect 411 bags between them throughout 2024, which Sally says was their proudest achievement during the 12 months since she last spoke to this newspaper.
“It’s not getting any better,” said Sally. “It’s actually getting worse and my husband thinks the area is declining. We wish people could be proud of and have respect for where they live. It’s all about respect.”
A concern of Sally’s is a number of charity donation bins that have been located at a car park in Ecton Brook for the past couple of years – which she described as a “magnet for fly tipping”.
The litter picker explained that people take their bags and place them in front of the donation bins, which people then trawl through and the items end up all over the car park in Ecton Brook Road. Sally would like to see these removed by West Northamptonshire Council.
Sally was asked what message she would like to send to the Northamptonshire community about how simple it is to get involved and do their bit for their area.
“Find a like-minded person – that’s how I started,” she said. “I couldn’t stand it anymore and we don’t want to live on a litter site.
“We might only have six people but that’s six more who are picking litter than before. People will soon ask what you’re up to.
“It’s simple – respect where you live or the planet will fight back and get rid of us. That’s the sad part for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.”
If you would like to get involved in the Tidy Our Town campaign, established by the Chronicle & Echo with the support of the Northants Litter Wombles, email [email protected].