Litter Picking Adventures with Samuel Rhodes School at All Saints Church, Haggerston 

When Connor Allbutt, a teacher at Samuel Rhodes School in Islington, contacted us to ask if we could help some of his pupils start litter picking as part of their Duke of Edinburgh programme (DofE), we were happy to help! 

Samuel Rhodes is a school attended by pupils with moderate learning needs and pupils with a range of different diagnoses. They deliver a bespoke and inclusive curriculum that is very much focused towards life-long access to the community and the workplace. 

The group that Connor was working with consisted of 9 boys, aged between 14 and 17, who were particularly keen to clean up Haggerston Park, which is a couple of stops away from their school on the train. These trips would get them out and about and taking part in a volunteering activity to help the local community as well as the environment. 

We got in touch with Reverend Laura Luz, the Vicar at All Saints Church, Haggerston, (part of Trinity Saints).  All Saints is an impressive church, built in the mid 19th century, which overlooks the park. Rev’d Laura was delighted for the church to become a Community Cleanup Hub, telling me she often had requests from local rough sleepers to borrow some gloves or a dustpan and brush, so that they could clear up the area outside the vicarage, so she figured the kit could help them too. The new Trinity Saints Haggerston Cleanup Hub was born. 

I joined the boys one lovely sunny Spring morning in March, to see them in action. It was great to meet this lively bunch! The boys told me that they had been dedicatedly litter picking every week since their programme began back in September and that they plan to continue until the academic year ends in the Summer. Connor said that he was planning to bring a new group back to the hub next year. 

The boys said they really enjoyed their weekly outings and kept a tally of all of the types of litter that they collect. Connor explained that it can be hard to keep everyone focused as they have learning difficulties, and that getting out of the classroom to do something both physical and useful is a great outlet for them. As we walked around the local housing estates and park together, there were moments of joy as the boys rushed to grab a swing along the way. 

The boys told me that they had collected 25 bags of litter so far and that they had also been raising money for Children in Need as part of their DofE activities and asked if we could share their Just Giving link here: Crowdfunding to Children in Need and Samuel Rhodes School on JustGiving 

It was just brilliant to see the Cleanup Hub being used so regularly by this group and to see their dedication as well as clear enjoyment of the activity. The boys were accompanied by three very friendly and caring members of staff from Samuel Rhodes: Connor, Amos and Sean.  

Well done boys and thanks for showing me round - keep up the good work! 

If you are local and would like to borrow the cleanup kit from the Trinity Saints Hub, you can contact them to find out more here