Student-led campaign helps clean up Jesmond
Students in Jesmond have helped to “Leave Newcastle Happy” by collecting 5.5 tonnes of household waste in specially provided skips, according to a new report
Leave Newcastle Happy, an initiative set up by the Newcastle University Students Union (NUSU), is now in its fourth year and works with Keep Jesmond Clean, around the local area, to promote a cleaner community. According to the report, 0% of the household waste from the skips ended up in landfill and 76% was recycled.
Kay Hattam, NUSU campaign and democracy co-ordinator, told JesmondLocal. “Leave Newcastle Happy provides the students of Newcastle University the opportunity to give back to the city that I’m sure many of them grow to love during their time here.
Students and staff were out and about in Newcastle during the last two weeks of term.
“The value of the donations and participation in the other aspects of the campaign are a testament that, when given the right support, students will do the right thing when they leave the city for the summer.”
Leave Newcastle Happy also collects unwanted garments to donate to the British Heart Foundation. In the 2017/2018 academic year, 17,911 bags of unwanted goods, worth £250,754, were donated by Newcastle students. The campaign also organises community litter-picks, and ‘plans to make the event bigger and better’.
Keith Jewitt, from Keep Jesmond Clean, says he values the “strong links” between Keep Jesmond Clean and the NUSU. He also commended the support of the Raising and Giving (RAG) committee, which organised the 2018 RAG week litter-pick. The litter-pick saw more than 100 students get involved in clearing the streets of Jesmond.
However, Jewitt is keen to see more students get involved with Keep Jesmond Clean. “Litter-picking is fun and is a good way of getting fresh air,” he said. “We’d also like to see students becoming involved in the running of Keep Jesmond Clean. We have very few resources and are dependent on the energies of a small group of people. New volunteers are always welcome.”
The next litter-picks will take place on this Saturday (27th October), beginning at Newcastle Cricket Club at 11.15 am, and Saturday 24 November (venue TBC).