Somerset schoolboy's lockdown mission to clean up his village

Litter-picking hero James with just some of the rubbish he has collected during lockdown. Credit: Rebecca Atkins

A 12-year-old Somerset schoolboy was so upset at the rubbish he saw while on his walks during lockdown that he decided to do something about it.

James Atkins from Lympsham normally enjoys golf and playing and watching football but all this has gone on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

His mother Rebecca Atkins said: "Like the rest of the country we all went into lockdown and it meant that James had to be home schooled and couldn’t do his outside hobbies.

"This wasn’t easy with both myself and my husband working full time from home, however, James and I said that we would make sure that we went out every day to get some fresh air and exercise. 

Scenes like this one in Lympsham upset James so much that he decided to take action. Credit: Rebecca Atkins

Mrs Atkins continued, "As such James and I started to go walking or running each day just around our village, Lympsham, where we live. It was one day while walking a little two-mile route around the village James became really quiet and became upset.

"When I asked him what was wrong he said, 'Look at all this litter. We live in the country and it is really dirty with rubbish. It is really upsetting, mum'. 

"I said to him, 'Unfortunately, some people did throw litter and they shouldn’t'. To which James said, 'Well I don’t throw litter and I am going to tidy up our village'."

James Atkins wielding the litter picker he bought with his own pocket money. Credit: Rebecca Atkins

James used his pocket money to buy some black bags and a litter-picker and has been out collecting rubbish around the village since it arrived.

James Atkins said: “The amount of litter is making the countryside look really dirty and the countryside should be nice and clean. Also all the rubbish will affect the wildlife and our environment as a lot of is not biodegradable”.

The rubbish James has collected includes disposable cups and sweet wrappers. Credit: Rebecca Atkins

So far James has collected nine black bags of rubbish including cans, plastic bottles, crisp packets, sweet wrappers and glass bottles with a few takeaway wrappers thrown in.

James is also considering going to Weston-super-Mare and Burnham-on-Sea at some point to help clean up litter along the seafront. 

James has collected nine bags of rubbish on his walks around Lympsham so far. Credit: Rebecca Atkins

James' mum hopes people will read this and think twice about about throwing rubbish out of their cars and take it home with them.

Rebecca said: "Me and my husband are just so proud of him as it was all his own idea. Every day he has asked me to make sure I take half an hour out of my day so I can walk with him around the village to help tidy it up".

Read more: