Meet the litter-picking stars on a mission to clean up Jarrow - here's how you can help

Jarrow Litter Pickers was created in April 2020 soon after the first lockdown began, with members carrying out their work during their spare time in various locations around Jarrow, Hebburn and Bede Industrial Estate.

They recently cleared an area beside Morrisons in Jarrow, with their next target close to the A19.

Litter can prove fatal to wildlife, so another clear-up saw them team up with the Durham Wildlife Trust beside the River Don, making the area safer for animals.

Now the group has set up a GoFundMe page with a target of £750 to buy tools such as litter grabbers, a trolley to transport the rubbish they collect and gloves so members can better carry out their work.

The group now has 160 members, with around 100 joining since the start of 2021.

Founder Carol Ann Ross, a Jarrow resident who works in office sales, often picks up litter with just her friend Debbie Upperton. Both are passionate on the subject of litter.

Carol, who was nominated for a Love South Tyneside award, has been putting her principles into practice for two decades and is especially keen to buy a trolley.

She said: “It’s quite a hefty job picking up litter – I’ve been doing litter picks for 20 years. So these things would be a great help. Recently I approached the council for some large bags.

“I have a motto which is: ‘Love where you live – use the bins.’ Dropping litter is totally unnecessary. Since covid we’ve also seen a lot of face masks being dropped, which is really quite unpleasant.

“Use the bins!”

Carol has thanked the group’s sponsors, estate agents Chase Holmes, for their contribution of hi-vis vests plus a £100 donation to the fundraising effort.

Due to social distancing, litter picks tend not to have more than six members together at any one time.

Anyone who would like to find out more about the Jarrow Litter Pickers should visit their Facebook page. Anyone wishing to contribute to their fundraising should go to uk.gofundme.com/f/jarrow-litter-pickers.

The Gazette would like to repeat Carol’s point that litter picks would be unnecessary if everyone put their rubbish into bins.

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