Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Retired teacher in bid to clean up our coast
Since leaving his job as a geography teacher at Menzieshill High School around 13 years ago, Jack Greenway has despaired at the rubbish being left on Broughty Ferry beach, next to where he lives.
The 73-year-old heads on to the sand and the nearby nature reserve at least once a week with his pinching stick and has urged all Dundonians to look after the city better.
He said: “I’ve lived here for a long time — around 40 years — and in the last few years since I retired, I’ve noticed the council’s effort has got poorer and poorer. I’m not blaming them because they haven’t got the budget or resources they used to have, but the beach and nature reserve are not regularly cleaned well enough — especially in the winter.”
Jack is well known among locals and says he often receives “thanks” from passersby when he is out cleaning the area.
He said: “It is nice to be appreciated. People say ‘thank you’ when they see me, which is nice.
“But at the same time, out of 1,000 people 999 will walk past a piece of litter without picking it up and it doesn’t take much to do that.”
Jack says he feels like it is his duty to help the environment while he can, adding: “If you are in receipt of a pension then I think you should do something to earn it — as long as you are fit and well enough, so that’s what I do. I see it as civic duty.
“Being a geography teacher, I know all too well of sea creatures like whales ingesting plastic bags and dying as a result.”
Along with a number of other beaches in Tayside and Fife, the Ferry was recently recognised by Keep Scotland Beautiful for its cleanliness as part of the charity’s Scottish Beach Awards but Jack added: “I have no idea how it gets recognised.
“There is a limit to what I can do, there’s just so much plastic, aluminium and sanitary towels. I go out about once a week in winter, but in the summer I’ll go out a lot more as the weather is a lot better.
“Dundee as a city really needs to do better to look after its environment.”
Ferry councillor Kevin Cordell, convener of the neighbourhood services committee, said: “It’s great to hear of people like Jack who go out of their way and give up their own time to help keep public places clean.
“We work really hard to keep the beach in tip-top condition and it’s all thanks to volunteers like Jack and our council workers.”
A RETIRED school teacher is on a one-man mission to rid a Dundee beauty spot of litter.