Litter legends clean up Leighton Buzzard school's grounds
Litter pickers at the ready, pupils from Heathwood Lower School welcomed Alex Mayer MP on their daily drive to keep their school grounds spick and span.
The young litter heroes invited her along during the week of the Great British Spring Clean. This is an annual event organised by Keep Britain Tidy.
It’s all part of a plan spearheaded by the School’s Eco Council. The idea came from the students after an assembly about respecting the school.
Now, once a day, pairs of pupils bag up any litter they spot during break and lunchtime. It’s a whole school effort, with pupils aged from 4 to 9 taking turns to litter pick.
The Eco Council members explained to their MP, that so far this year, they have bagged 20 sacks of rubbish, mainly food packaging. They then showed off their new litter pickers, so even more pupils can take part at the same time.
The drives comes as new Keep Britain Tidy research shows that 95% of people who volunteer to litter pick feel they make a difference to their area.
Ms Mayer said: “I think these are the most enthusiastic litter pickers I’ve ever met, zooming around their school grounds hunting out errant crisp packets or plastic bottles. Plus we found some balls - so it was also helpful to collect school equipment back in! It is great to hear how passionate the pupils are about the environment. This week is the ‘Great British Spring Clean’ which is a brilliant way for people to show pride in where they live, while taking immediate action to protect the environment on their doorstep. Well done to everyone at Heathwood Lower School and everyone taking part in the ‘Great British Spring Clean’.”
Headteacher Jackie Wright said: “We are very proud of our pupils and the way they care for the local community. We work hard to promote life skills such as being responsible citizens and supporting the local area. That’s why we set up our Eco Council. With Rushmere Country Park on our doorstep, it’s a great opportunity to teach children about climate change and the negative impact litter can have on the environment.”
All the Heathwood Lower School pupils taking part in the Great British Spring Clean 2026 will receive a Litter Heroes certificate as a thank you for their efforts.
Individuals, groups and schools can pledge to collect a bag of litter as part of the Great British Spring Clean by visiting www.gbspringclean.org