{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Alanah Reid, Creative Content Producer","standfirst":"Inspired by learning about the environment and pollution at school, Cub Scout Leani was determined to make a difference.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ELeani took it upon herself to organise a litter pick for her classmates one weekend to help tidy up her local area.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo spread the word, Leani created posters, certificates, and leaflets, handing them out in her community and at church. She even arranged a prize draw to encourage more people to take part.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELeani\u0027s here to tell us more.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EHi, it\u2019s Leani here.\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI love Scouts. I started \u003Ca href=\u0022/cubs/\u0022 title=\u0022Cubs\u0022\u003ECubs\u003C/a\u003E during lockdown and I\u2019ve grown so much since I\u2019ve joined. I\u2019ve learned so many important life skills, like being independent and responsible, and made friends for life. Scouts is helping me gain so many new skills.\u00A0Now, I don\u2019t hesitate to take on challenges.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI love my community, I care about the environment, and I want to be a responsible person. I\u2019m so pleased my little brother was able to join \u003Ca href=\u0022/squirrels/\u0022 title=\u0022Squirrels\u0022\u003ESquirrels\u003C/a\u003E this year. He loves it and he\u2019s not throwing nearly as many tantrums as he used to before he started Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EHelping the environment\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think of myself as an environmentalist. I walk to school because I want to help save the planet. I believe if everyone makes a small change in their life, it could have a big impact on the environment.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I see litter, I pick it up, and now it\u2019s second nature. My little brother is starting to do the same. Before we start litter picking, we make sure we know what\u2019s safe to pick up and what we should leave. We also wear gloves each time we pick litter.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/ilqb2pn1/leani-litter-picking-in-her-local-area.png","width":1816,"height":1024,"altText":"A Cub Scout is holding a carrier bag with gloves on. She\u0027s smiling at the camera in her Cubs uniform and doing a \u0027peace\u0027 sign with her right hand. She\u0027s standing on a pavement with a bin just behind her and there are other young people and adults in the background.","caption":"","link":null},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELike Leani, remember to learn what\u0027s safe to pick up and what you should leave.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlways wear gloves before you pick litter and make sure your gloves are appropriate for the type/area/duration of the litter pick.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re using litter pickers, lightweight gloves will help keep your hands clean while you hold the tool or bag.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou should wear sturdy gloves, like gardening gloves, if you\u0027ll be touching any litter or working in an area where your hands may get caught by other things, like undergrowth.\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#ffe627","title":"Safety first","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EOrganising the event\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe were learning about environment and pollution at school, so I decided to organise the litter pick event.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe school found out about the event when they saw me handing out some flyers in the playground, and they asked if they could turn this into a sponsored litter pick to invest in recycling bins for the school.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELots of children from school and the community joined in, and everyone enjoyed it. I\u2019m proud to be a Scout, so I decided to do the litter pick in my Cubs uniform.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThis inspired children and adults from my school to help litter pick and join our clean up team.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI asked a friend of mine to help get even more people to join us. He helped hand out flyers and spread the word too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe were both awarded with a Community Champion Award from my school, which was amazing.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"Leani joined Cubs during lockdown over Microsoft Teams. She was quite a shy little girl, but she got involved immediately. During her time at Cubs, she became a natural leader \u2013 she was made Sixer and our Cub of The Year for 2023. Her skills and talent are simply amazing, and she organised the whole Pack at events or on Pack night without needing to be asked. She\u2019s now moved onto Scouts and is already impressing there.","attribution":"Tony, Leani\u0027s Cub Team Leader","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re inspired by Leani, why not organise a litter pick in your local community with your Group? Our \u003Ca href=\u0022/activities/go-litter-picking/\u0022 title=\u0022Litter splitter\u0022\u003ELitter splitter\u003C/a\u003E activity is a great place to start.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could take part in the \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGreat British Spring Clean campaign\u003C/a\u003E, between 15 and 31 March.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s a great way to look after your local area, and earn your \u003Ca href=\u0022/staged-badges/community-impact/\u0022 title=\u0022Community Impact\u0022\u003ECommunity Impact badges\u003C/a\u003E along the way.\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://shop.scouts.org.uk/new-in/outdoor-in-2024-blanket-badge-24791#selection.size=719\u0026amp;selection.color=34\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022#selection.size=719\u0026amp;selection.color=34\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#ffb4e5","title":"Litter picking at Scouts","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat I love about Scouts\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMy favourite thing to do at Scouts is absolutely everything. But, if I have to choose, it would be the camping trips and earning Nights Away badges. At camp, I love survival skills, which my leader Tony inspired in me from being a member of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.bushscout.org.uk/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBushScout National Scout Active Support Unit\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m so passionate about camping that I\u2019ve convinced my entire family to camp, and my dad\u2019s even bought a truck to take everybody! I love learning and I learn something new each week at Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we had a Pack Forum, I led my Six in deciding which activities to do, and we chose litter picking. We went to our local park and each team collected two bags of rubbish each. It was great getting the Scouts involved.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENext, I\u2019m planning to do some community work, by regularly visiting a care home for the elderly and I\u2019ll either sing/dance/play piano for the residents. This\u2019ll make me so happy.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re so pleased to hear how much you\u2019re helping the environment and your community. Keep it up!\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Well done, Leani","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBefore starting your own litter pick, make sure you carry out a risk assessment, just like any other activity.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s important young people are supervised when picking litter and know to avoid items that don\u2019t look safe.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAlways wear gloves or use a litter picker.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EKeep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETell an adult if you see any sharp objects such as broken glass. You\u2019d need to collect broken glass very carefully, and it needs to go in a separate container \u2013 not just in a rubbish bag.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDon\u2019t pick up needles or syringes, anything with human waste (like nappies), or anything that might contain dangerous chemicals, such as unidentified cans or canisters.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIf you spot any of these things, record the location and report it to your local council or whoever owns the land.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIf you\u2019re not sure what something is, don\u2019t pick it up \u2013 go and check with an adult.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EStay aware of where you are and what\u2019s around you.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#ffe627","title":"More safety information","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"12 February 2024","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Find out more about the Great British Spring Clean","url":"https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Litter splitter activity","url":"/activities/go-litter-picking/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":78728,"nodeName":"Leani and her super litter picking mission","title":"Leani and her super litter picking mission","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/ilqb2pn1/leani-litter-picking-in-her-local-area.png?cc=0.3097323155808318,0.193348314302744,0.3072636015069175,0.4245826713468029\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dac769b1be1950","caption":"Leani Litter Picking In Her Local Area","type":"png","size":1785494,"width":1816,"height":1024,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Leani and her super litter picking mission","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83ODcyOCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2024/february/leani-and-her-super-litter-picking-mission/"}