From the town centre to residential streets and car parks, one Ryde man has made it his mission to tackle discarded litter – and his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by those who live and work in the area.
Noel Hillier spends much of his week walking around Ryde armed with a litter grabber and carrier bag, picking up rubbish left behind by others in a bid to keep the town looking tidy.
The volunteer has gradually expanded his litter-picking rounds to cover everything from the busy town centre and supermarket car parks to Oakfield High Street and the School Street estate.
Some locations are more challenging than others, but that hasn’t discouraged Noel, who has turned what began as a relatively small effort into an almost daily commitment.
His contribution has also been recognised by Ryde Town Council, which presented him with a Community Champion award. A letter of recognition was also received from the then Mayor of Ryde, Councillor May.
It is a commitment that stretches back around 40 years, beginning when Noel lived in Bournemouth, Dorset, and spent time tidying up areas behind local shops, including Superdrug and Oswald Bailey.
Following the death of his father, Noel returned to the Isle of Wight, where he initially combined litter-picking with jogging around Ryde, Nettlestone and Seaview.
Noel, who lives with Asperger’s syndrome, ASD and dyspraxia, purchases his own grabbers from Hurst’s hardware shop in Union Street, Ryde, alongside the carrier bags he uses to collect rubbish, but his efforts don’t stop at what he can physically pick up.
When he encounters fly-tipping or other problems around the town, Noel also raises concerns with Island Roads in an attempt to get them addressed.
Away from his regular litter-picking rounds, Noel helps his brother Dale with The Veteran Hotel & Bar, a Community Interest Company based in Ryde, and has recently become involved again with the Salvation Army in Newport.
