A man from Levenshulme has taken it upon himself to address the rubbish thrown in his street and is determined to make the city and his area cleaner attractive.
David Shrew, 58, sets out a few times a month with a pair of gloves, a reliable litter picker and a determined attitude. The part-time Uber driver patrols the streets of Levenshulme and other areas nearby where he collects objects that have been littered on the floor.
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David Shrew spoke to the M.E.N: "People have no consideration for the planet. I want my kids and my grandkids in the future to be able to live on this planet. I know what I am doing isn't making a dent but can people at least throw their rubbish in the bin? It takes two seconds and we can't even do that."
The father of one has found a mix of objects found on the floor that he has helped throw away, ranging from electronics to bags of meat.
David added: "In the future, I want to help pack away bigger skips of garbage, I am a one-man team but I have had offers to help. It's nice going alone though. I usually get music on my earphones and stroll about, usually in the evening as I'll do some Uber work in the morning and part of the afternoon.
"I don't go much but I would like to go more. I still feel as if I am contributing to the environment and the city. I hope I can inspire more people to go and do the same thing."
David, who moved from Brighton to Manchester in late 2010, has issued a rallying cry to other residents to help tackle the worrying trend.
He said: "It has to be a collective effort from all Levenshulme residents to keep the area clean. Global warming is happening and it's worrying."
Councillor Lee Ann Igbon, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods, said: "We welcome the work that David is carrying out, and fully support what he's doing to look after his local environment.
"Volunteers, like David, do a great job supporting and supplementing the work that our own teams conduct to ensure neighbourhoods across the city are clean.
"Local volunteers who take it upon themselves to pick up litter for the benefit of others deserve to be applauded for their efforts in keeping their local environment clean and, we all need to work together to make sure that our local neighbourhoods are clean and green."
David wants his work to serve as a reminder that even seemingly insignificant actions may have a big impact.
His dedication and zeal show that each of us has the ability to positively impact our communities. We can build a cleaner, more sustainable Manchester for everyone to enjoy by taking his lead and cooperating.
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