Express & Star

Youngsters in litter pick project to tidy up community

Pupils in Walsall have been cleaning up their streets during a special litter-picking project aimed at smartening up their neighbourhood.

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Ruby Brookhouse, Mohammed Armaan, Manroop Dhami, Ruqayyah Khatoon, Shaun Williams and Mohammed Hassan Saghir with teacher Safiyya Kola

As many as 350 pupils, aged between five and 11-years-old, from Chuckery Primary School, took part in the Community Clean-Up Project.

They were surprised by the amount of rubbish they found strewn on and around the streets and the litter-picking turned into a competition between different classes.

Headteacher James Pearce said: "We have about 450 pupils at the school, aged from two-years-old, and about 350, aged from five to 11-years-old, took part in the project.

"We wanted to look at ways we could support the local community.

"The children wanted to find a way to give something back to the area and do something which was community spirited and something selfless.

"After discussions we came up with the community clean-up project .

"Walsall Borough Council loaned us litter-picking equipment and on the day it all became a competition to see which class could collect the most rubbish.

"However, because of the pandemic restrictions we had to go out in class bubbles.

"The children were surprised by the amount of litter they collected and this demonstrated the problem on our streets.

"I think the children really enjoyed the day and I am sure that this will lead to many discussions in school and at home about the problem.

"It was very successful and I think that we will now look at other ways of helping the comm.unity."