Leamington activist calls on more people to take responsibility over litter on eve of campaign song launch

An environmental campaigner who voluntarily carries out litter picks in Lillington where she lives has collected a concerning number of drinks cans and plastic bottles in just a few hours.
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Ange Owen, a campaign executive for Clean Up Britain which is running the Now or Never behavioural change project in Leamington of which The Courier is a partner, carried out the litter picks in and around Gresham Avenue, Black Lane and Pound Lane on three days towards the end of last month and beginning of October.

And Ange, who is part of Clean Up Britain’s Leamington Street Activist Project , collected more than 350 cans and 120 bottles.

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She said: “It’s not a litter picking project it’s a behavioural change campaign and the result of these litter picks makes it very clear that we need everyone on board and to take responsibility.

Some of the cans collected in Ange Owen during one of her litter picks in Lillington recently.Some of the cans collected in Ange Owen during one of her litter picks in Lillington recently.
Some of the cans collected in Ange Owen during one of her litter picks in Lillington recently.

“Councils are cash-strapped but spending millions each year on litter picking but what we need is a cultural change.

“The Government needs to lead but people can also target where they live and be very pro-active.”

Ange said that she hopes more people will ensure litter such as cans and bottles can be recycled instead of being sent to landfill sites.

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She said: “People do not understand how valuable aluminium cans are and if they can donate them to the Cash For Cans scheme then the money goes to a local charity.”

Now or Never will launch its musical anthem thanks to the work of North Leamington School pupils in collaboration with musicians from the town.

Members of the school’s Pop Choir, musician Wes Finch of The Mechanicals and The Doc Emmett Brown Trio teamed up to create and record the song in July and it will be posted on Youtube from 8pm tomorrow (Thursday October 10).

Wes said: “I was asked to come in on the project as a songwriter and jumped at the chance to put some creative energy into a project that really rings a bell with me.

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“As a lover of nature and the parks and woodland around Leamington, littering really gets my goat.

“I think we all need to recognise that in today’s world there’s a need to be responsible with what we use and consume.

“Take care of your waste and everyone benefits.

“All this plastic isn’t going anywhere.”

Ange added: “Getting creative through music and art is a great way to explore the issue of litter, to start the discussion and to change behaviour.

“I was awestruck by the talent of the students and it’s a privilege to have had Wes on board.

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“We really hope you like it and it inspires you to join the movement.

“The Now Or Never campaign is working hard to stop littering behaviour in Leamington and beyond so that one day litter will be something of a murky and polluted past.

“We want the town to be the Gold Standard for clean towns."

For more information visit the campaign’s website www.itsnowornever.org.uk or to listen to the anthem tomorrow visit https://youtu.be/0DF5zkGOBAc

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