Keeping our streets clean restores pride in our local community

As the general election approaches people become more vocal about their concerns, hoping that their next MP will tackle high rents or sewage in the sea. There is one issue, however, we can all do something about and that is keeping our streets tidy and clean.  We are fortunate in St Leonards to have a team of tidy warriors who have been doing just that since 2018. Dee Williams talks to Trevor Thwaites from Tidy Up St Leonards.

Trevor, the secretary of Tidy Up St Leonards (TUSL), informed me that there are currently 129 signed-up members who regularly pick up the litter from our streets and parks. There is a weekly meet-up every Wednesday at 10am when a team will concentrate on a specific area.

Wearing gloves and hi-vis jackets, these volunteers will pick up all the litter they can find and report larger fly-tipping for the council to clear. You may have seen the filled-up blue bags left by a bin which the team report for pick-up on the Hastings Council website. 

Other members may go out alone or in pairs as the time suits them and then report back via Facebook on the roads they have covered. 

The TUSL members also clear footpaths, cut back overgrowth on public highways and report damaged road signs. They are particularly looking for volunteers for woodland / cutting-back work and the more specialist work like street sign/bus stop cleaning as an alternative to litter picking.

This year they have volunteered to help clear up after the Beer Festival and they regularly work with local youth groups helping them to gain badges and environmental awards.  The volunteers find the work to be rewarding as well as social. There is a shared pride in caring for our local environment and members of the public will often thank the team for the work that they do. Getting out and doing something for the community is good for your well-being, Trevor informs me.  

Trevor is part of a team of four trustees who coordinate the work, recruit new members and raise funds.  The bags are supplied by HBC but TUSL provides the volunteers with jackets, gloves, pickers and rings which they keep stored in a rented garage.  All volunteers are covered by insurance provided they are wearing their hi-vis jackets and gloves and following TUSL working procedures and guidelines. 

TUSL became a registered charity in 2019 and receive some funding from HBC Safer Streets and also from the Round Table. Donations to their Paypal account are most welcome but more than this Trevor and his team would like to see more volunteers active in the community, helping us all to feel a little bit better about ourselves.  How about just keeping your street tidy once a week?

You can offer a donation or join the team by clicking on their website or visiting their Facebook page.

You won’t regret it.  

“When you’re sitting in a dark room, you can either sit and curse the darkness – or you can light a candle.”
Leonard Ravenhill

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