Brixton residents work together to clean up their community.
Littering and illegal dumping is a pandemic that Brixton community members are facing.
Community members in Brixton joined forces to make their community clean and beautiful. They formed community groups and organised regular clean-up campaigns, where volunteers would gather to pick up litter, sweep the streets, and tend to the local parks and gardens. This was implemented because of the littering and illegal dumping that the community face. According to the residents, the neighbourhood’s cleanliness has been a concern for a long time.
“We have a long tradition in Brixton of cleaning up, as a community. We make it a social activity and combine it with other community events, generally. Like everywhere, we have problems with crime – and we know that safety isn’t about spending more money on security and electric fences and cameras,” said Sophia Welz who is a member of the Brixton Community Forum.
“In Brixton, we believe that knowing our neighbours makes us safer. We believe that an attractive park encourages people to use it, and the more legitimate users of public space, the safer it is. We want to make sure that we’re doing our part to improve the quality of life for our community.
“We go through phases, but I think most of Johannesburg has noticed our city is extremely dirty. We have dumping sites where people regularly throw rubbish, and in the park, it tends to be around the picnic areas. We want to change this by inviting more people to clean up with us for 30 mins every week. If you feel a sense of belonging and ownership in a place, you’re more likely to treat it well.”
Recycle initiatives like teaching members of the community about the importance of keeping the community clean were implemented to sustain their progress. They meet every Tuesday from 17:00–17:30 at Kingston Frost Park tennis courts, corner Putney and Chiswick roads to clean their community.
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