Award-winning 90-year-old urges public to stop littering

Michael Barnfather, aged 90, continues to collect litter within his community, with the dual objectives of encouraging others to follow suit and advocating for an end to rubbish dumping. For the past decade, the former artist has been gathering litter in his home village of Caerwent, Monmouthshire, driven by his strong dislike for its presence. He stated, “If more people took a bag with them when they go for a walk [to collect litter], I think that would be useful.” At the Tidy Wales Awards 2024, he recently secured two accolades, specifically the Volunteer of the Year and the Outstanding Achievement Award. Originally from Derbyshire, Michael spent decades traversing England as a landscape artist, and during these journeys, he began to feel frustrated by the litter he encountered. He recounted, “I would think ‘what a mess’, but I didn’t do anything about it.” He further explained, “But then I thought, why moan about it? So I started picking up litter and I’m still doing it.” He expressed his hope that his efforts would motivate others to engage in similar actions, noting that he has observed neighbours emulating his example by beginning to collect litter locally. During one of his walks, he recounted an encounter with a six-year-old boy. “He told me that he wanted to help protect the environment. I was surprised he even knew the word at his age – it was very nice,” Michael stated. Michael received two awards at this year’s Tidy Wales Awards, among them the Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor he indicated had surprised him. The judges commended him for having “worked tirelessly” to maintain the tidiness of his neighbourhood, adding that he “continues to amaze local residents” and has inspired other families to participate in his initiatives. His partner, Meg, 87, frequently accompanies Michael on his walks, playfully referring to herself as his assistant. She detailed how they schedule their walks around dance classes and lawn bowls, adding, “People here are very proud of him.” Meg further expressed, “I’m very proud of him – I continue to be amazed by the amount of energy he’s got.” Michael holds the view that the volume of litter has increased in recent years, frequently filling multiple bags within a span of just a few weeks. When questioned about his message for the public, he responded plainly: “Please don’t litter.” He continued, “Or carry a bag with you if you do go for a walk. “You don’t have to pick much up – if everybody just picked up a little bit up it would help quite a lot.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.