Cleaning up: The efforts of Nikki Proudfoot and how residents make a difference

Service delivery is a continuous subject for Newcastillians, with residents feeling more needs to be done to uplift the state of the town. However, one resident has decided to stop complaining and take action to see his suburb become a cleaner environment for its residents.

Stepping away from mainstream news for a moment, Newcastillian News shines a light on local resident Nikki Proudfoot.

Taking matters into his own hands, Proudfoot has dedicated himself to addressing the issues in his suburb, Sunnyridge, rather than waiting for someone else to step in. “Litter is a big issue in the area, especially with people drinking. I walk around the area on a regular basis, and I became tired of complaining and decided to actually do something about the problem,” said Proudfoot.

This saw him begin tackling the litter on the vacant piece of land on Zircon Avenue on Monday, 29 July 2024. “I managed to collect nine bags of glass bottles alone. I can now say which are the most popular beers in town, from the bottles I collected,” began Proudfoot, who is now determined to continue his mission to clear the area.

After collecting nine bags of discarded beer bottles discarded by negligent Newcastle residents, Proudfoot noted, “I intend to continue and doing more. On Saturday, 3 August 2024, my gardener and myself, started cleaning the street, removing the grass that had started growing on the roads and blocking the stormwater drains. The road (Zircon Avenue) had started becoming unsafe from the grass growing on it, forcing motorists to drive on the other side of the road to avoid it, and I felt something had to be done.”

While removing a substantial amount of foliage from the road, Proudfoot pointed out that more still needed to be done and he would continue as he could.

However, he noted, “The Newcastle Municipality should be cleaning more, but community members are the issue and people need to show social responsibility and avoid littering.”

As Proudfoot now embarks on a mission to clear his area of litter, while clearing the road and stormwater drains of overgrown grass, he is now challenging his fellow Newcastillians to follow suit and take ownership of their respective suburbs. “I am pushing 75 and I cannot do this alone. I will continue doing as much as possible, but I would encourage others to start similar projects in their areas,” stressed Proudfoot.

Furthermore, Proudfoot is not alone in his proactive efforts. Residents like Maureen Thwala in Arbor Park also showed initiative back in March of this year. Frustrated by the potholes in her street, Thwala began filling them herself, demonstrating a similar commitment to improving her community. (To read more about this click here). The above is not forgetting the collective efforts of New City Newcastle, whereby numerous residents got involved in cleaning parks, fixing roads and painting bridges, to name but a few. To read more about New City Newcastle click here.

This all highlights the fact that as much as a municipality is required to do its part, residents need to get involved and own their environment. After all, you are not a guest in your town, but rather a resident who forms part of an active community.

With the Proudfoot and others embarking on a mission to see their neighbourhoods clean and safe, what are your thoughts on the above? Share your views in the comment section below.