A ‘Clean Champion’ has been spotted in the Arboretum tidying up a local playground on Coleville Street.
Joshua Piper, aged 12 from the Arboretum, was spotted with two friends clearing up rubbish and polystyrene which had been scattered around the area.
Carol Laverick, from Arboretum Residents and Tenants Association, was walking by the area when she saw the group hard at work and returned an hour later to see the area spotless.
Mrs Laverick, said: “I walked by the area and was pleasantly surprised to see the young group clearing up the playground. I know the playground had experienced anti – social behaviour in the past and unfortunately had to be shut for a while.
“After the playground was reopened and unfortunately misused, the group went off their own back with litter pickers to ensure the playground was free from mess and could be used by the local community. This is such a fantastic example that the young people have set.”
Andrea Piper, Joshua’s Mum, said: “Joshua and other children in the community always go round the area and clean up any litter they see. They want to help in the community and make a difference. It was actually raining when they cleared up the playground, but they still did it.”
Joshua continued: “It’s really bad when other people make a mess in the playground or in the street – we often play out after school and like the area we play in to be clean. So we do our bit for the community and help clear up any mess. It’s all about working together to help keep the neighbourhood clean and play our part.”
Cllr Nicola Heaton, Portfolio Holder for Community Services at Nottingham City Council, said: “This is exactly the type of behaviour that sets a good example to the rest of our citizens and emphasises our mantra of ‘Together we can Keep Nottingham Clean.’
“Taking ownership of areas and making a little effort to ‘do your bit’ to help maintain our Cleanest City status will make Nottingham a cleaner city for everyone to enjoy.”