Litter, tyres and everything in between, a community cleaner from Grimsby is not afraid to get stuck in and make the town a better place.
Frank Sparkes, known as the North Wall Cleaner, has been helping brighten up the area for 28 years and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. After getting involved with his son’s Summer holiday project, Frank found his passion and now spends his retirement cleaning up areas like the Nunsthorpe.
To help him in his efforts, The Community Safety Partnership (CSP), in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council, have donated a range of items including PPE, a tablet to help him report fly-tipping and fuel allowance. Part of the Clear, Hold, Build strategy to better The South Ward, the Council hope this can help Frank in his day-to-day life.
He said: “It all stated in 1998 when my son and some others took part in the Lifestyle project which was ran by Humberside Police.
“They focused on clearing parts of the sea wall, but they needed my help to get the bigger items out. When we went down there it was much worse than they thought it was going to be. There were settees in ditches and all sorts.
“They ended up coming 2nd overall and when they went back to school, but I just couldn’t leave it – it became my new passion.”
He added: “Since then, I’ve spent more time keeping the Nunsthorpe clean and making sure that looks good. It’s great for everybody but especially for the community that live here.
“My dream would be to make this place litter free; I’ll keep going as long as I can to make that happen.”
He added: “The donation from the Council and the CSP is just tremendous, it will help me so much to carry on doing what I’m doing and will make it even easier for me. My tablet means I can easily report fly-tipping and the PPE will keep me safe when I’m out and about.
“I really appreciate everything they’ve done for me and can’t thank them enough.”
Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “I’m thrilled that Clear, Hold, Build is helping everyday heroes like Frank. He deserves everything and more and I would like to thank him for the unwavering effort that he has put in over the last three decades.
“This really is an amazing achievement.” He added: “I would also like to take this opportunity to remind people not to fly tip or to litter the streets. They belong to all of us and everyone has a responsibility to look after them.”
For more information on Clear, Hold, Build, visit Crime falls in Nunsthorpe thanks to Clear, Hold Build | NELC
For more information on fly tipping and how to report it, visit Fly-tipping | NELC
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