Hero award for Queens Park litter picker
A Glasgow man has received the prestigious Clean Up Scotland “Hero of the month” award in recognition of his continuing efforts to pick up litter in his local communities of Shawlands and Queens Park.
A Glasgow man has received the prestigious Clean Up Scotland “Hero of the month” award in recognition of his continuing efforts to pick up litter in his local communities of Shawlands and Queens Park.
The award is part of the national Clean Up Scotland campaign, organised by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Edward Kirkwood, who is a full-time wheelchair user, has dedicated much of his time over the past six years to help protect and enhance the cleanliness and environmental quality of his local streets and open spaces. His infectious enthusiasm for the task of cleaning up has seen his efforts go viral in a video posted online by one of his many local friends and supporters, and now he has become the recipient of the auspicious national Clean Up Scotland award.
Edward undertakes the clean-up activities on a purely voluntary basis, although he is keen to regard it as “his work”, and a great way to ensure he gets out the house and makes a positive contribution to a cleaner, greener Glasgow.
The video was used to raise funds through a crowdfunding tool for a powered wheelchair for Edward, and raised the fantastic sum of £5368 from 368 different contributors, most of whom were local Southside residents, who had seen Edward’s cleanup work first hand.
The Clean Up Scotland Hero award is supported by Helping Hand Environmental which provides each Hero with a Clean Up kit - including a new Scottish litter picker and handy hoop. An image of Edward receiving his award can be found here.
On receiving the Hero of the Month award, Edward Kirkwood said:
“I litter pick to keep the vermin away. I litter pick any area around my home to keep the place looking clean including around some local pubs and hotels.“
Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful said:
“I would like to congratulate Edward for his unwavering commitment to keeping his local community clean. His efforts help to demonstrate that volunteers can make a massive difference in building civic pride in local areas, whilst sending a clear message to those that drop litter that their carelessness is unacceptable. His contribution should inspire us all and shame those who discard their litter irresponsibly.
“Volunteers are working hard Scotland-wide to improve and enhance their local communities. I would encourage even more people to nominate their local Clean Up Scotland Hero so that they too can receive wider recognition for their hard work.”
The Clean Up Scotland campaign encourages everyone to get involved by visiting www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/cleanupscotland to find out how you can help with the campaign’s ambition to make Scotland the cleanest country in Europe.
As part of the campaign, every month Keep Scotland Beautiful recognises an individual or group who has made an outstanding contribution to improving local environmental quality. Local residents are encouraged to nominate someone in their own community that has demonstrated their sustained commitment to cleaning up their local area and making improvements in local environmental quality.
Further information on how to nominate your local hero can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/nominate-a-hero