St Albans couple praised for selfless litter-picking every day for years
Lynda and Brian Steventon. Picture: Emma Steventon - Credit: Archant
A proud daughter has praised her parents for litter-picking a popular track and park for more than five years.
Every day, when Lynda and Brian Steventon take their dog Millie for a 45 minutes walk along the Alban Way, they bring rubbish bags with them to pick up litter.
From Ashley Road to Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School, and via Longacres Park, the couple have made sure these public spaces are clean and tidy for more than half a decade.
Now their daughter, Emma Steventon, wants to publicly thank them on behalf of the community.
She said: “I am really proud, I think it is a lovely thing to say they have done - kept a highly-used area very clean for a long time.
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“It is very busy in the summer, it is very popular and it is in between a few primary and secondary schools - my daughter uses it.”
Whenever Emma’s three-year-old daughter joins her grandparents on the walk, she will also help to litter pick.
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Emma added: “They have never been thanked, it has never been acknowledged - and they have done it for so long.”
The Alban Way is a former railway which runs from Cottonmill Lane in St Albans to Wrestlers Bridge in Hatfield over six and a half miles.
Longacres play areas are managed by St Albans district council (SADC).
Portfolio holder for the environment at SADC, Cllr Frances Leonard, said: “Lynda and Brian clearly care about their neighbourhood and want to keep it in the best possible condition.
“We owe them and the many other voluntary litter pickers in the district a big thank you.”
Cllr Leonard said she attended a litter pick organised by Sandridge Parish Council and hopes to join Lynda and Brian on their walks at some point.
She added: “As a council, we are committed to keeping our streets, parks and green spaces free of litter and it is great to see people helping us with that task.
“We joined the Keep Britain Tidy campaign group this year and will be taking an active role in their Great British Spring Clean which starts later this month and runs for four weeks.
“Nationally, it is hoped around half-a-million people will help with litter picks and we will be doing our bit in St Albans together with our waste contractor Veolia, community groups and businesses.
“However, the best thing that could happen is for people to simply stop dropping litter,” Cllr Leonard pointed out.
