IEver since I came to England when I was 9 years old, I saw how different it looked from Jamaica, where I was born. I know my country loves the work I do and I am very privileged to be born there. Since my youth, I have had many opportunities to do sports and ballet (although I chose not to do the latter at Boarding school but ironically later, at a UK Secondary All Girls’ school).
There the skies are consistently blue and the beach and seaside are clean and beautiful just to gaze on, so from a young age I wanted to make where I lived in London a cleaner place.
I didn’t like seeing litter on the streets nor chewing gum stuck to the pedestrian ‘walkways’ as that adds to the negative impression of an area by making it look ‘tatty’ and unpleasant to have to see on a regular basis.
As a child growing up in a city, I made sure I kept my own litter, like empty crisp packets and chocolate bar wrappers in my bag to dispose of when I saw a public bin.
At the time I thought the Local Council did all the street cleaning, including the River Thames which still looks so dark and murky I couldn’t understand then and now why the Local Council isn’t cleaning it up.
Fast forward to 2003 - 04, I joined a nature conservation organisation called Trees for Cities through which I planted trees in city parks and school grounds, which gives me a sense of achievement in ways indescribable.
Then gradually through the London Wildlife Trust we cleaned twigs and branches from nearby commons (large park/conservation areas) to help birds, hedgehogs and squirrels not get entangled in them.
About 2 years ago I mentioned to a Church Minister that I wanted to write to the Local Council to say how litter and drink stained the pedestrian ‘walkways’ were, which is not only an ‘eye soar’ but unhygienic in spreading bacteria. His response was that I should write to the local MP but not long after that, the Mayor of London promoted a Cleaner City Air and Environment survey which I did via Twitter, instead.
Now being a Local Guide I got to know of the #CleaningtheWorld project organised by Ermes here on Local Guides Connect, of which I am extremely proud to be a part of.
Not only am I the French translator for the project but I started my #CleaningtheCity and Coffee Day meetup back in January 2019 as well as adopted an area which I see is now looking better than before.
Yesterday I walked past the area which I mentioned to a network I belong to, that it was looking good, (thanks to the opportunity I have here at Local Guides Connect, to do projects like this which is essential for a community to thrive well).
Besides the Local Council has not said no to the contrary that I couldn’t clean the area so I am just doing a 1-person #CleaningtheCity act.
My forthcoming #CleaningtheCity and Coffee Day meetup is for us as Local Guides to discuss what we are all doing to help make our community a better place for all.
Meetup on St Patrick’s Day!
(17 March).
Finally I would like to thank the hard working moderators and Local Guides in helping to make the world a nicer place to live in and where we now enjoy the excellent standards of service in all areas of life.
!