Gold award is a big lift for litter picker Casey
Recognition for five-year-old
Perthshire’s youngest litter picker has been honoured for her efforts in keeping her community tidy.
Five-year-old Casey Bell from Pitlochry was named as a ‘Gold Litter Picker’ by Perth and Kinross Council in recognition of her enthusiasm for litter picking.
Casey has been picking litter when out on walks with her family since she was just three and says she dreams of being a ‘litter picker upper’ when she grows up.
The Pitlochry Primary School pupil received the council’s first gold litter picker.
To mark her achievement Casey was invited to visit and tour the Pitlochry depot and got to sit in the council’s street sweeping vehicle which collects litter and cleans the area’s roads and gutters.
Laura Bell, Casey’s mum, was ecstatic to see her daughter recognised.
She said: “We are in absolute awe of Casey and how passionate she is about being a litter picker upper no matter the weather. She’s always wanted to be one and we want to encourage her - even if it adds an hour or two on to our daily walks.
“It makes her day when the crew in the blue vehicles wave to her - especially one lorry in particular that beeped at her last week. She loves picking up litter, but gets annoyed when rubbish appears in her clean area the next day.
“Casey was over the moon about her invite to the Pitlochry depot and has been struggling to
Casey Bell with her gold litter picker sleep with the excitement. We can’t thank Perth and Kinross Council enough for making her dreams come true.”
Perth and Kinross Council has a small number of gold litter pickers for awarding to members of the community who go above and beyond in their litter picking activities.
Councillor Angus Forbes paid tribute to Casey’s efforts, saying: “Casey is an inspiration to us all – she has been litter picking with her family for a couple of years now, and – despite being so young – she is passionate about the litter that is discarded across beautiful Highland Perthshire where she lives.
“We’re presenting Casey with her own litter picker as this is an example of the Perth and Kinross Offer: where the council and householders work together to make Perth and Kinross an even nicer place to live and work.
“Casey demonstrates that everyone has something to offer in Perth and Kinross – regardless of age.”
Householders who would like to litter pick in their area are encouraged to visit www. pkc.gov.uk/litterpickers to find details of their nearest litter picker host, who they can borrow litter picking equipment from.
Alternatively, householders can contact the council’s customer service centre on 01738 476476 or email wasteawareness@pkc.gov.uk