Jason Prentis, Lambeth’s Environmental Outreach Project Manager, on the award-winning programme
Our award-winning Freshview programme is still running, and we have availability this summer and autumn for anyone who wants to get involved in improving their local area.
The project brings neighbours together to carry out a range of activities to brighten up their street or estate, so it’s social as well as beneficial for the environment.
Activities typically include:
- Building planters for the pavement
- Creating or maintaining community gardens
- Litter-picking, sweeping and weeding (more on that below)
- Cutting back overhanging hedges
- Painting front garden walls
Running Freshview is one of the best parts of my job. It’s always nice to see people who’ve lived in the same street or estate for years start chatting and getting to know each other over a shared purpose. Firm friendships have been struck up while working together on building a planter, and many roads that started with a Freshview have gone on to organise street parties. The environmental benefits can be significant as well, with planters acting as an effective deterrent to fly-tippers.
These events normally happen on Saturdays or Sundays. I bring the equipment and materials, and help with organising and carrying out the activities; you organise your neighbours to come and join in. We can even print flyers for you to deliver to your street to promote the event. If you’d like to find out more, I can arrange to meet you to discuss your plans and let you know how we can help. Contact me and we’ll start plotting!
Weeding
It’s now four years since we stopped using glyphosate to treat weeds on our streets and pavements. Since then, we’ve done all of our weeding without the use of chemicals, which, as you can imagine, is much more time-consuming. We’re now in the time of year when weeds are growing at a faster rate, and it’s even more challenging for our sweepers to keep on top of them. We’ve had a number of residents approach us asking for tools so that they can help with the weeding in their streets, and it’s been extremely successful.
If you’d like to help with the weeding in your street, please let us know and we’ll deliver some tools and bags for you. It’s easier if there are a few of you, so if you want to organise some neighbours to get involved, make sure you include in your email how many sets of tools you think you’ll need.