Litter sweeping with Koda
697. Wayne Dixon
A former soldier from Blackburn is leading a campaign to clean up Britain’s countryside.
Wayne Dixon is undertaking a 7,000 mile litter sweep with Keep Britain Tidy to raise awareness of the amount of rubbish ruining our landscapes. Accompanied by his dog Koda and carrying a 50lb canvas backpack of kit, Wayne is walking across Britain, spending every day cleaning verges and hedgerows and using social media to spread his message.
His walk has included regular stops for large-scale community litter picking events on beaches, in villages and in towns and cities attended by hundreds. Wayne’s award will coincide with the ‘Great British Spring Clean’ weekend, run by Keep Britain Tidy, during which Wayne is organising an event in Blackburn, his home town.
In a personal letter to Wayne, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“The astounding 7,000 mile litter sweep you are undertaking is having a real impact everywhere you visit and inspiring communities to do all they can to preserve our beautiful countryside and keep our towns and cities clean.”
Wayne said:
“I am fulfilling a lifelong dream of wanting to walk the whole coastline of Britain to see for myself how beautiful our country is. I’m using the walk to raise awareness of a cause that is close to my heart; the litter problem in this country, while also raising money for mental health issues and dog welfare.
There are two things running side by side on this journey. One is the litter: it is everywhere, and we definitely have a litter problem which is having an effect on our community well-being and a devastating effect on wildlife. The other is the kindness of all the people that I am meeting along the way. People have been amazing, and so supportive. It’s definitely restoring my faith in humankind.
I feel very honoured to receive the Point of Light award and I hope that this award continues to inspire others to improve communities and people’s lives.”