A SCHOOLBOY from Kempshott Rise has been using his daily exercise during lockdown to collect more than 30 bags of litter.

11-year-old Jordan Marsh noticed lots of litter while out walking, and decided to do something about it.

“He’s done absolutely loads,” his mum, Jacquie, told the Gazette.

“It started about four weeks ago, and he said to me one day: ‘All this rubbish, can we bring a litter-picker with us and pick it up?’”

“We’ve always had one lying around, but it’s never been used to actually pick up litter before!”

Jordan, who is in Year 7 at Dove House School Academy - a specialist school for children with moderate learning difficulties - was inspired by his family’s love for wildlife.

He said: “I wanted to start it so I can help all the animals. It makes me feel happy, and proud.”

Jacquie added: “Pretty much every day we’ve been out and, up to yesterday, we had collected 31 carrier bags and two black sacks of rubbish.”

Jordan has been litter-picking around the area he lives in Kempshott Rise, as well as Down Grange, Hatch Warren and Brighton Hill.

Jacquie says most of the rubbish they find is discarded beer bottles, drinks cans, pieces of plastic, cigarette butts, old lighters, and dog poo bags.

“People will say it is the takeaways but it’s not,” she said.

“We rarely find a Macdonald’s package or a Costa cup. I think the tide is changing on that, but I suspect it is people who buy their drink or whatever and then finish it on the way to wherever they are going.

“There are a lot more people out walking on the estates, and I think a lot of that rubbish has been there for a long time.”

Sometimes, Jordan’s dad, Rob, and older sister will join, but it’s Jordan, along with his mum, who goes out nearly every day.

The family is passionate about the environment, and has previously supported Hart Wildlife in their work rescuing hedgehogs.

“We are a family that do as much as we can to support wildlife, so we are really aware of the impact,” said Jacquie.

“We have done quite a lot of walking with him during all of the lockdowns to support his health, keep him fit and also for his mental health.

“It’s hard for young people at the moment. Some children his age might be starting to use social media and things, but he can’t yet. His big sister is in contact with her friends but he’s not so much, so we try and get out.

“He has noticed a lot - the changes in the seasons, things around us, plants and birds identification. That’s tuned him into what else is in his environment, and what shouldn’t be there.

“It is really rewarding. He doesn’t particularly enjoy walking, but since he’s been clearing litter, he’s been saying ‘Come on mum, where are we going today?’”

And Jordan’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

Jacquie said: “What’s been really nice is we have had 30-odd thank-yous from members of the public - Jordan keeps count!

“Litter picking can be quite exhausting and time-consuming, so when someone you don’t know takes the time to say thank you, it makes it worthwhile.”

Jordan was also nominated for Legend of the Week at school and was given a gift card reward.

He says he hopes to keep up his efforts into the Spring.

Jacquie said: “We have actually run out of carrier bags now! So we are going to ask our neighbours if they have any spares that they don't want any more, because that’s a good way to recycle them.

“Unfortunately we don’t sort through the rubbish we collect - for being safe, we don’t want to pick anything up with our hands.”

Sending a message to others, she added: “Most of the places we walk have plenty of bins. Hold it in your hands until you reach the next rubbish bin.

“It would be quite nice for us to go for a walk one day, and not have to pick up anything! We are very lucky in Basingstoke to have so many green spaces, but it’s so much nicer if you can walk somewhere that’s clean.”

Jordan and his mum also hope they’ve started a trend, as they recently spotted a mum and her daughters walking past their house with litter-pickers.

Jacquie said: “Litter-pickers are very cheap to buy. I think it’s important to make sure you use one, because you don’t know where the rubbish has been!”