A HALF term holiday activity challenge set by a Startforth youngster has seen more than 20 bags of rubbish collected.
Phoebe Stevens, from Startforth Park, set up the Litter Picking Challenge for her friends and family to do during the holidays after watching a David Attenborough programme about the problems discarded rubbish has on the environment.
The nine-year-old created a poster and shared her activity ideas with family on a Whats-App group and also invited classmates from Montalbo School to get see how many bags of rubbish they could collect while on holiday.
She said: “I’ve been watching David Attenborough programmes about the problems of the horrible plastics and it made me want to get involved with more litter picking.”
The youngster, who has enjoyed taking part in organised litter picks with her mum and dad, Rachel and Peter, said litter picking became part of the family’s exercise routine during lockdown.
Phoebe added: “When we’re doing it people stop and thank us. They really appreciate what we are doing and it’s getting people to understand what they are doing to the environment by dropping litter.”
After a call to Durham’s green and clean team, blue rubbish bags were provided and Barnard Castle Rotary Club were able to supply two litter picking sticks for the challenge.
Mrs Stevens said: “Phoebe’s tried to get out for at least an hour a day to different locations in Barney, even when it’s been cold and raining.
“She’s just very enthusiastic about it. We’ve done part of King Street and Queen Street as well as down from Stainton to town.”
After sharing photographs of the challenge on social media some of her classmates got involved.
Luke Rudge, took his own litter stick and collected rubbish around Churchill Road. The youngest to take part in the challenge was four-year-old Charlotte Edgar.
She helped brother William and friend James Kemp-Ambler Atkin clear litter on a path from the Scout Hut to Queen Street, amassing five bags of rubbish.
Phoebe said: “It’s all about raising awareness, not throwing litter down and getting people to pick up after themselves.
“We’ve picked up a lot of face masks, cans, plastic bottles, coffee cups and a fleece blanket
“We will keep doing it and hopefully more people will start litter picking as welly. We have quite a few giggles and we’re outside, it’s good exercise and it’s good for the environment.”
