Passionate nine-year-old makes stand against ‘people ‘ruining’ Aston Cantlow countryside with litter

A YOUNG girl visiting her grandmother in Aston Cantlow has made a stand against the amount of litter in the area.

Theodora Twynam was out on a walk near her grandmother’s home when she came across a wide range of rubbish items
dumped nearby.

Some of the items nine-year-old Theodora found on her walk, which was from Aston Holdings
down towards Aston Cantlow, included fast food packaging, energy drink bottles and beer
cans. The state of the area inspired Theodora to write a letter, which was then sent into the
Herald by her grandmother, Jane.

In it, Theodora wrote about her walk, listing the large amount of litter she came across. Rubbish from several supermar-
kets was also noted, which she said was simply “unacceptable”.

Theodora’s grandmother joined her on the walk. She told the Herald why it made Theodora cross, and the pride she has in her granddaughter.

“We went for a walk across the fields and the more we went on the more cross she became. It was interesting when she went out with her parents and couldn’t believe how much litter there was,” said Jane.

“For a nine-year-old she’s very passionate about the countryside. She grows her own vegetables and she’s very passionate about the outdoors and how people treat it. I was quite amazed at how angry she got. She came back from the walk and wrote the letter. She said, ‘I don’t understand why people behave like that’.

“She wrote the letter first and then showed it to me. She then asked, ‘What can we do, Gran?’ and that’s when I suggested sending it to the Herald.

“Where I live, which is just outside of Aston Canton, I do a lot of walking and you just can’t believe the amount of rubbish there. Theodora’s parents thought that we were exaggerating until they saw the litter for themselves.

Speaking to the Herald, Theodora, who visits her grandmother from her family home on the Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire border, said: “It made me sad and angry, because it’s a very nice part of the countryside.

“Why would people want to do this? It’s so nice without all the rubbish when you walk past. It’s disappointing to walk past and then you see smelly rubbish.

“I think the problem is getting worse. I’ve seen more rubbish lately. I’d like to say to people to
stop doing it as you are spoiling things for people in the future.”

Theodora identified ways in which the issue could be tackled in the area, and she had a message for those littering.

She added: “I think people should be fined for littering. I think this would help people, and also I would like to see more litter picks take place. I would get involved with things like this.

“I’d say to people ‘please don’t do this, you’re ruining the countryside’. Where you walk will be covered in rubbish and if people see others doing this, they will do the same.

“I think it’s important to set a good example. We need to show children what to do with their rubbish, and that isn’t to just throw it out onto the road.”