With the problem of litter and mess on our streets growing ever bigger across the country, Ian Blackburn – founder of Love Clean Streets – has gathered an army of young eco-warriors to fight this environmental foe.
Love Clean Streets is an app designed to report environmental issues such as graffiti or litter, to local councils. A successful pilot scheme was tested by eleven schools across England in July and consequently developers are modifying the app further so that it will be ready for release nationwide by early 2017.
How does the app work? 
- Users download the ‘Love Clean Streets’ app or visit lovecleanstreets.com.
- If they see an environmental problem, they open the app and can take a photo. They can then write a small explanation of what the problem is, before posting the report.
- The location is automatically detected and the report is sent off to the nearest council’s back office system.
- Once the report is received, the council can begin the process of resolving the problem.
The app has been specifically created for use within Primary Schools and when the final development is completed, it will become a part of the curriculum. This innovative creation educates and inspires our youngest generation, getting them passionate about looking after our environment.
Bapchild & Tonge School ‘Eco-warriors’ using the app to report overflowing bin
One of the schools who took part in the pilot scheme was Middleton Parish C of E Primary School in Middleton, North of Manchester; Max, aged 9, a pupil of the school said:
“The app is good as you can inform people of the areas you don’t like and they will then make the environment a better place to live in.”
Teachers who have been involved in the clean up have reported educational benefit and valuable skills for the children; including litter education, use of technology and understanding relevance to their everyday lives. The app encourages them to be active citizens in the community.
Bapchild & Tonge School ‘Eco-warriors’ using the app to report litter
Susannah Butcher, Eco- School leader at Bapchild & Tonge School, said: “The children had a lot of fun taking part in the project. It was an excellent chance for us to do some real work in trying to combat the problem of litter in the school area.”
“This project highlighted a variety of local environmental issues and raised questions with the children, which ensured they were fully engaged and motivated by the task. Smart phones and tablets are big part of children’s lives, so showing them how these can be used in a positive way made the lesson really enjoyable for them.” said Susannah.
Created in 2005, Love Clean Streets is he UK’s leading environmental reporting service and is backed by the Keep Tidy Groups across the UK.
Love Clean Streets Founder, Ian Blackburn, said: “We believe that educating the next generation on the importance of keeping our environment clean is a step in the right direction to ensure our world is a cleaner, happier place to live for generations to come. By getting involved with the LCS Education Project, children will ensure the issues do not go unnoticed and will inspire their peers to follow their lead.”
Primary schools across the UK are invited to register their interest in taking part next summer (2017) by contacting Ian Blackburn through email ian@bbits.co.uk.
For more information visit http://www.lovecleanstreets.com/reports/home , or visit their Facebook page.
