Inspirational 9-year-old schoolgirl Florrie cleans up with litter pick in Bedford

A nine-year-old schoolgirl who wants to help the environment inspired a litter pick – collecting seven bags of rubbish in the Manton Heights area of Bedford.

Florrie was inspired by a school project to ‘invest in their community’ by solving a local issue, so with a friend set about tackling the persistent problem of litter in and around the area where she lives.

Florrie started by emailing local Harpur Ward councillors Colleen Atkins and Zara Layne to request a litter pick for the area and they were more than happy to help and join in.

The event was supported by Mum Lisa, Dad Olly, friends, family, residents and ward councillors and resulted in seven heavy bags of litter. Mum Lisa said: “I can’t believe how much litter was collected in such a short amount of time. We are very proud of Florrie.”

Florrie presented the project to her class at Bedford Girls Junior School last week and hopes her enthusiasm and caring attitude encourage more young people to care about their environment. She also plans to write to a nearby fast-food outlet highlighting the amount of its named cartons found in the area and asking how it will be addressed.

This was the second time Florrie had instigated a litter pick for Manton Heights as she did exactly the same in 2019 at the age of just five. She has always been concerned about the amount of litter she sees and her wish is to help the environment and protect animals. She says it makes her feel sad to see litter thrown on the ground.

Councillor Atkins said: “Florrie is an amazing nine-year-old who wants to improve her area. When she emailed us to ask for another litter pick to be arranged, Zara and I were more than happy to help by organising the event, providing the equipment, and joining in.”

Councillor Layne added: “Hopefully, Florrie’s actions will inspire other children to write to their councillors and organise similar events. We’re always keen to be out and about in Harpur Ward helping residents, so please get in touch with us if you’d like us to organise a litter pick in your area.”