Around 50 volunteers have joined Eco Rangers Larne, a litter picking initiative which aims to clean up the town.
The litter reduction initiative began with one man and his dog – Abe and Bobbie – and now the people of Larne are taking civic pride to a new level. Shockingly, on average, around 45 bags of rubbish are collected every week.
Abe’s call for volunteers to support his campaign has delighted he people of Larne who have demonstrated their commitment to getting out and about to collect litter dropped by others.
Supporting the efforts by council workers, Eco Rangers Larne Volunteers cover the areas not accessed by the council.
It’s hoped that other towns will join Larne and rise to the challenge of cleaning up and instilling a sense of civic pride.
Abe Agnew, the founder of Eco Rangers Larne said people are grateful for the efforts shown by the volunteers.
“Words cannot express how proud I am of every Ranger in our ever-growing band across the town. The impact has been outstanding, and the people of Larne come out of their homes, stop us on the road, and beep their car horn three times to say thanks to Rangers as they pass.
“It boosts everyone’s morale. Activities like this have a real impact on the local area and we would encourage other towns to take action as volunteers, and support their already hard-working council workers,” he said.
The Eco Rangers of Larne each volunteer from one to ten hours a week.
Noticing Bobbie the poodle with his owner Abe, a bin bag and picking arm, Larne Eco Ranger volunteer Portia Woods immediately decided to lend her support, along with her daughters, age 9 and 12.
“I was intrigued by what was happening and realised the appalling scale of the problem. My daughters were disgusted that someone would just throw down their litter – we want to help as much as we can,” she added.