IF YOU live in Partick, you may have spotted them – they are, after all, quite hard to miss.
The ‘hot-pink-hi-vis rubbish army’ is a regular sight on the streets of this west end neighbourhood.
They are, as Still Game star Sanjeev Kohli puts it, “winning the war on waste….”
The actor and comedian is one of several famous Scots to lend their support to Partick Action on Litter (PAL) in a bid to encourage more people to get involved in cleaning up the area.
Scot Squad actors Louise McCarthy and Jack Docherty (who plays Chief Miekelson) also got on board by providing voiceovers for a series of hilarious tongue-in-cheek awareness videos, made with support from Partick Housing Association.
“Take pride in the ‘hood,” instructs Sanjeev, while Louise adds: “Don’t be a rocket, keep it in your pocket.”
The Chief is altogether more direct.
“Fight the good fight, don’t put up with the sh**e,” he declares.
The videos were filmed and edited by a friend of the group, Graham Maciver of Studio 27 in Lochwinnoch.
Volunteer Maggie Paterson says the short clips, which were made before lockdown and have been causing a stir on social media, are intended as “a bit of fun.”
“We are not making light of the situation, it’s just about taking a more light-hearted approach to help reach more people and hopefully encourage them to get involved,” she explains.
“I’ve been involved for a few years and it is a great thing to do – it’s fun, you get to know your neighbours and people do stop to say they appreciate what you’re doing, which is lovely.”
Through her work with PAL and Partick Community Council, Maggie got involved with COP 26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference which is coming to Glasgow in November.
More than 10,000 people applied to be volunteers for the conference. Leading them will be the ‘faces’ of the campaign, a small group of men and women passionate about the city, the environment and fighting the climate crisis.
As part of our Streets Ahead campaign, the Glasgow Times will be telling their stories in the run up to the event.
Streets Ahead, run in partnership with Glasgow City Council, People Make Glasgow Greener. City Building and City Charitable Trust, encourages and supports people across the city to improve and take care of their local environment. This year marks the 10th anniversary of our awardwinning initiative.
Maggie is part of the COP 26 volunteer team, and she is looking forward to the event, where she will help welcome visitors.
“I do feel very strongly that we need to get our act together on climate change,” she says.
“It’s great for Glasgow, to have the conference in the city, and hopefully it will allow more Glaswegians to learn more about it and get more involved.”
Delegates, including heads of state, climate experts and campaigners will gather at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) for international climate talks from November 1 to 12, and in common with other major events hosted here - like the Commonwealth Games in 2014 - volunteers will be at the heart of the action.
Maggie adds: “My background is in community learning and development, so I was very keen from the start that the volunteer programme should be inclusive and engage with a wide range of people from all communities and backgrounds.
Now that lockdown restrictions have eased Maggie is hoping Partick Action on Litter can get back to its regular litter-picking events.
“Partick is an area with a big nightlife scene, there are lots of restaurants and bars here, and before the pandemic we had started to talk to retailers and fast food outlets about how to tackle the problems of litter, and how to encourage people to dispose of their packaging responsibly,” she says.
“The group has had a hiatus, obviously, over recent months, but hopefully more people will feel encouraged to come back, and to join in.
“Many of our members are also Neighbourhood Improvement Volunteers registered with Glasgow City Council who collect the litter we pick up.”
Maggie adds: “I think people are more aware now of sustainability and recycling, which is encouraging. I don’t think PAL would take full credit for all the improvements around Partick, but we have definitely made a difference and that’s fantastic.”
PAL’s next community litter pick will take place from 10am until 1pm this Sunday (August 29).
If you would like to help ‘prettify Partick’s pavements and defeat detritus’ meet the group outside Fortrose House on Fortrose Street, or find out more through its Facebook page.
Are you involved in a Glasgow group working hard to improve the city for the benefit of all?
Get in touch with us to share your stories and photographs - email ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk
We would love to hear what you are doing in your community, school or business to make a difference.
Together with our partners, Glasgow City Council, People Make Glasgow Greener. City Building and City Charitable Trust, we can support groups and help kick-start projects with small grants and in-kind support.
Contact us for an application form.
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