Middleton Park’s plogging pupils clean up in double quick time

07 March 2018

Pupils at Middleton Park today (Wednesday 7 March) showed off their energetic approach to cleaning up their surroundings…plogging!

The school has adopted the Swedish fitness trend that combines running with picking up litter as part of its contribution to this year’s Clean Up Aberdeen campaign

Plogging is just one of Middleton Park’s approaches to litter clearing this month. Others include a film made by pupils to encourage everyone to pick up litter, a litter raffle, Design a Bin, a survey on litter problems and a litter pledge signed by pupils, staff and parents.

Councillor John Wheeler, Education Operational Delivery Convener, said: “It was great to come along today and see at first hand the pupils’ fantastic contribution to our annual campaign.

“They have come up with some wonderful and imaginative ideas on litter cleaning that exercise the body as well as the mind!”

Using the slogan ‘Eco Team say Keep Clean’, Middleton Park’s Eco Committee is led by Primary 7 pupils who have devised the activities.

Head Teacher Jenny Watson said: “Our Clean-Up Campaign is completely pupil led. Our young pupils have been working in different committees to encourage everyone to be environmentally friendly as well as appreciating the beautiful country that we live in. As well as organising Litter Campaigns, each class will also be enjoying an outdoor visit to an area of beauty around Aberdeen.”

Clean Up Aberdeen is being led by Aberdeen City Council’s Environmental Services and the public are encouraged to take part by tidying up somewhere important to their area, somewhere important for wildlife, or areas of land which are not regularly cleared of litter.

Pupils at several primary schools around the city are organising and holding their own local campaigns, with one school a month planned to take part. Middleton Park is the first of the schools taking part.

People are encouraged to take part in Clean Up Aberdeen along with friends and family, work colleagues, schools or community groups.

Clean Up Aberdeen is part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s national campaign to encourage communities, businesses and residents to join forces to help stop litter from being dropped on the ground and to make it a socially unacceptable practise in our city. The national campaign is aimed at making Scotland the cleanest country in Europe.

People or groups wanting to take part should register via www.cleanupscotland.com/pledge. For more details, or to get help organising an event in the city, call 01224 219281 or email cleanaberdeen@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

Photographs show Councillor John Wheeler, Education Operational Delivery Convener with L-R Kai Inglis, Amishi Sood, Emily Morrice and Samuel Macpherson