St Mark's Brownies join Mick Couzens' campaign to Keep Scarborough Tidy

Mick Couzens set up Keep Scarborough Tidy four years ago with the intention of improving the surroundings for those who live in and visit the town.

He works with different community groups and the council to tackle the problem of rubbish being dumped in the wild.

Mr Couzens said: “I was invited by Alison, the Newby St. Mark's Brownies leader, to do an educational talk and litter pick with 15 children aged between seven and 10.

“Before setting off to pick up rubbish along the nearby Cinder Track, I told everyone the story about how one of our nine-year-old boys and his mum found a wallet in the Peasholm Park lake - with £50 cash still in it!”

Mr Couzens is keen to stress the impact that litter can have on the environment.

He said: “The Educational talk consisted of the sad story of the cow that died in a farmers field after it had eaten dog poo bags, and another story of the two horses in a different field, who also died after irresponsible people had thrown their dog poo bags into their field.”

Alongside the two bags of rubbish collected during their litter pick, the Brownies also uncovered broken glass which Mr Couzens was keen to point out can also be a danger to dogs and other track users.

One of Mr Couzens key aims is to raise awareness that everyone can make a difference, he said: “I told the children that I work closely with McDonald's and I asked that whenever they go to this particular restaurant, could they please put their rubbish in a bin? Or take it home if there weren't any nearby bins?

“Thanks to Alison for inviting me to do this event, thanks to the adults who accompanied us, but more importantly - many thanks to the children who were so enthusiastic and a pleasure to talk to and educate.”

After the litter pick was completed, North Yorkshire Council were sent details to arrange collection of the bags.

Mr Couzens is happy to arrange litter picks for any other groups who may be interested in helping the Keep Scarborough Tidy campaign.

To find out more, email: [email protected]