Meet Helen – A Community Champion

Helen is the heart and soul behind many environmental activities at Jubilee Crescent Cleanup Hub in Radford, Coventry. As the Cleanup Hub Coordinator, she is remarkable at keeping her community clean and connected. Not only is she an active litter picker, but Helen is also a passionate volunteer for various environmental organisations, leading by example and inspiring others to do the same.

Helen’s litter-picking journey began during lockdown, initially to get outdoors. But her real motivation runs deeper. Growing up, Helen was inspired by her grandparents, who took pride in their area. She remembers her grandmother sweeping the front of her house and teaching children to take their rubbish home. “Back then, there was a stronger sense of pride in the local community” and Helen is determined to bring that back.

For Helen, it’s about more than just picking up litter—it’s about rekindling community spirit where people look out for each other, are friends with their neighbours and take care of the spaces they share. She hopes to pass on these values to the children and young people she works with at the Jubilee Community Centre, hoping to instil in them a love for their environment just as she was taught.

Leading by Example

Helen is a community powerhouse – She regularly organises activities at the Jubilee Crescent Community Centre, where she also tends to the community garden and regularly organises events. Her commitment to a cleaner, greener space is infectious, and she’s always encouraging other local people to get involved.

What makes Helen so special is her ability to connect people. Jubilee Crescent may be a small area, but it’s alive with activity. With its independent shops and vibrant, cultural atmosphere, it’s also a place that faces challenges, such as litter and anti-social behaviour. Helen is working hard to change that by bringing the local business community together and providing litter-picking equipment through the Cleanup Hub. With Helen’s enthusiasm to bring people together, shop owners are taking it upon themselves to maintain and tidy up their shopfronts, helping to make Jubilee Crescent a more welcoming place to visit.

One of Helen’s proudest achievements was organising the Radford Big Tidy, a large-scale cleanup event that brought together community groups, litter-pickers, and local businesses. This united effort targeted a long-standing fly-tipping hotspot in Jubilee Crescent, an area notorious for anti-social behaviour.

“The Big Tidy, was a great success! We filled an entire truck with waste which has already made a massive improvement to the area” While there’s still more to be done, the success of the event proved that when people come together, they can create real, lasting change. Helen is now working hard to encourage even more volunteers to join her mission and continue transforming Jubilee Crescent.

Helen’s resourcefulness is just as inspiring as her passion. She uses a custom-built litter-picking trolley, ingeniously crafted by her dad, using items they have found while litter picking. With compartments for recycling and a system to swap out full bags of litter, this DIY trolley is a key tool in Helen’s efforts to keep her community clean.

But Helen doesn’t stop there—she’s also found some creative ways to motivate children to litter pick. By repurposing old kids’ suitcases, Helen has made child-sized litter trolleys to get younger members of the community involved in litter picking. For Helen, it’s all about making cleaning up the  environment, fun, accessible, and something that everyone can take part in—no matter their age.

Join Helen and Make a Difference

Helen’s story is a shining example of the incredible power of community action. She’s not just picking up litter—she’s building a community of people that want to transform their area into a cleaner, greener, and more connected place.

So why not join Helen in her mission? Lend a hand, grab a litter picker, and help make your local community a space to be proud of. There’s a world of litter-free spaces waiting to be created—one bag at a time!