Hafsa Omar, 37, from Moss Side, Manchester, turned a maternity leave observation into the Moss Side Eco Squad, a volunteer group dedicated to cleaning up the neighborhood. The group averages two bin bags of rubbish per person per session, often totaling 20 bags each time.
Origins and Growth
While walking with her baby in a pram during maternity leave, Omar noticed litter she had to dodge. She decided to clear it herself. After posting a time on Facebook, seven or eight people joined her. For her birthday, she asked for litter pick sticks and gloves instead of presents to fund equipment.
Community Impact
The group picks up litter across Moss Side, helping Omar discover local cafés, shops, and parks. Volunteers, initially strangers, have become close friends, checking on each other when sick, sharing food, and celebrating birthdays. Locals often express gratitude, offering free food from takeaways, cups of tea, or donating bin bags.
Challenges and Finds
Some people mistakenly assume volunteers are ex-offenders doing community service. Common litter includes takeaway wrappers thrown from car windows; Omar sometimes confronts offenders, asking if they would do the same at home, usually eliciting apologies. Unusual finds include a dried-up stingray fish and decapitated dolls. Dangerous items like drug paraphernalia are reported to the council.
Fly Tipping and Commitment
Fly tipping is prevalent, especially mattresses dumped by landlords renting to students who move in and out yearly. Omar emphasizes flexibility: volunteers have families and jobs, so there is no pressure to commit regularly. Since starting in 2020, members have dipped in and out while others continue.
Personal Motivation
Omar volunteers for a sense of belonging in Moss Side, the first place that feels like home after moving around her whole life. She also helps organize the Junior Parkrun in Moss Side every Sunday for kids and participates in the adult run. Her dream job would be reorganizing charity shop floors, inspired by the BBC show Sort Your Life Out.
