A TEAM of volunteers are giving their community a dose of TLC, taking to the streets to collect loose rubbish.
Keep Whitley Tidy is a litter pick run by councillor Alice Mpofu-Coles and Elliott Gardiner.
The group held its inaugural event in February, meeting regularly at locations across the district.
“I’ve lived in Whitley since 2004, on Whitley Wood Road,” Cllr Mpofu-Coles explained.
“My husband and I used to pick up litter around our house and area as it’s a very busy road.
“This is something I wanted to do, and I wanted to make sure that it was non-politicised. It’s not something I do because I’m a councillor, but because it’s an important thing to do.”
The initiative has a sister group, Keep Caversham Tidy, with whom they organised a joint litter pick.
The teams took to Kennet Island at the end of May to pick up litter in the residential area.
All are welcome to volunteer. First-timers need only show up, with all equipment provided by the team.
Ms Mpofu-Coles cited a particularly heartwarming dynamic between two regular helpers.
“We have a mother and son attend, and she sets a great example to him,” she said.
“She shows him things like which bin we need to put certain types of rubbish in, making sure items get recycled. It’s so good to see.”
The Whitley councillor, who holds a PhD in Human Geography, also praised the council’s Love Clean Reading scheme.
“They actually do a really good job at clearing things that get left through fly-tipping,” she said. “All you need to do is take a photo and send it to them.”
Reports can be made via the council’s website or through the Love Clean Streets smartphone app.
Cllr Mpofu-Coles sees the pride residents have in their community as a key ingredient to the project, saying: “It’s all about taking pride in where you live.
“There’s obviously this stigma surrounding Whitley, especially in the media, that it’s a deprived, low socioeconomic area.
“The narrative is that the people here are not worthy, but the reality is that we are Whitley people, we are proud of it and we all do our best.”
Moving forward, the former diplomat is excited to see the initiative grow.
“We see Keep Caversham Tidy, they have a big group and we’d definitely like to get to that point here in Whitley as well,” she said.
Cllr Mpofu-Coles is calling for more residents to join the team, citing a plethora of advantages to volunteering.
“There are so many benefits to coming along outside of picking up litter,” she explained.
“You can get some exercise, make new friends and go home feeling better about yourself, both mentally and physically.
“It’s one hour of your time. To be honest, even if you can only stay for 30 minutes or 15 minutes, you’re still contributing.”
Individuals who are unable to attend can still get involved. Notifying the group of litter hotspots via social media can help organisers select meeting locations.
For more information or to join the group, search: Keep Whitley Tidy on www.facebook.com or www.twitter.com
