Volunteer rubbish collection group Keep Jesmond Clean is gearing up for its monthly litter pick this weekend by urging people to check their “thoughtlessnes” around refuse – particularly as winds whip the area.

Hosted once a month, the group last met at the Jesmond Cricket club on 11th October, and saw people from all different backgrounds come together and help tidy the area they love. 

At that event, Phillip Browne, the chairman of ‘Keep Jesmond Clean’ and councillor for North Jesmond told JesmondLocal it was an essential asset to the community, not only ensuring that Jesmond remains a clean and environmentally happy place, but also bringing together a sense of community. 

“It involves people who don’t get to see each other and lets them get together for the litter pick which is really rewarding,” Browne said. “And most importantly, by the end of the day, Jesmond is cleaner than when we started – which is what really matters”.

The group meet monthly and work through Jesmond’s streets such as Manor House Road and Sunbury Avenue to find and responsibly discard of any litter found. 

Browne raised concern that every day there seems to be more rubbish, with factors such as the recent Storm Amy causing trouble for the amount of litter blown into the streets. 

Jesmond has previously experienced issues with rubbish, circulating particularly around the back lanes where the communal bins are often overflowing with litter, causing further problems such as rats and eyesores to the local population. 

Browne also believes that the large student population has a role to play in the amount of litter found in Jesmond’s streets; describing the students as a lovely addition but with some drawbacks.

“The students are great and bring vibrancy to the community but it does get messy. It’s partly thoughtlessness, but also the nature of the community,” he explained.

Browne told JesmondLocal that cans, plastic bottles and fast food packaging took up the biggest proportion of litter found. 

Poppy Elliot, a Newcastle University student who currently residents on Sunbury Avenue spoke of the difficulties within student houses and rubbish. 

“Everyone is so busy and often doesn’t have time to cook proper meals during the day and so everyone goes out to buy meal deals or canned drinks to take to the library,” Elliot explained. 

“A lot of the time when we go to put our recycling out someone else has taken up all our bin space and we have nowhere to put our own litter”. 

Alec Hern, a volunteer for Keep Jesmond Clean, told JesmondLocal the struggles the group face with maintaining the local areas beauty and cleanliness due to issues such as HMO’s and student accommodation.

“I really like having the students around as it brings youth to the area, but I don’t think landlords manage their property, which brings the area down,.” he said. “The litter picks are for the better of the community”.

Keep Jesmond Clean meets at 11am on 8th November at Jesmond Library for its regular litter pick – all are welcome to take part, and join the group afterwards for tea and biscuits.