A Fife litter picker has been hailed a hero for his clean-up work.
Activist Glyn Chadwick from Aberdour has been handed the prestigious Clean Up Scotland Hero of the Month award in recognition of his ongoing efforts to clear litter from the region’s roads and verges.
He also works closely with the wider community to encourage awareness of the impact of littering.
Glyn has worked tirelessly for almost 20 years on a voluntary basis to help clear litter from the A921, which connects to the M90.
He often gets up at dawn to set about picking mess from the roads before the traffic is at its peak. His activity has the full support of Fife Council.
He said he was pleased to receive his award as part of the national Clean Up Scotland campaign, organised by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.
“Back in 1999 I was initially horrified to find the verges along the A921 littered with literally thousands of pieces of rubbish. Bottles, cans, you name it. The first time I did a clean-up I filled 26 sacks.”
Glyn said the situation is now far worse than it was 18 years ago.
“There is more traffic on the road so more gets thrown out of car windows and council budget cuts have decimated litter-picking staff numbers,” he said.
“It would be great if there were more volunteers but because most of the problem areas are along fast roads, safety is a concern.”
He said it would make a difference if more people stepped forward to help, even for small periods of time.
Glyn was congratulated on his award by Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Nicola Turner.
She said: “He sets a fantastic example to others in the area and his efforts really do help to deliver significant environmental improvements at a time when we know local environmental quality is in decline.”
Dawn Jamieson, team manager for safer communities on Fife Council, thanked Glyn for the work he carries out in the community.
“If other people or groups would like to follow in Glyn’s footsteps, please contact the safer communities team who can provide you with the equipment you need.”