A group of mostly pensioners from Clean Heidelberg continues to play a vital role in keeping Heidelberg clean, dedicating one hour every Thursday morning to clear litter and address illegal dumping in various parts of town.

The volunteers meet weekly between 08:00 and 09:00, with members taking turns to suggest areas that need attention.

While some parts of Heidelberg have shown visible improvement, particularly where organisations such as Heidelberg Hope have become involved, several areas remain persistent dumping hotspots.

Clean Heidelberg member Charlotte Cloete said the group’s commitment comes from a shared sense of responsibility toward the town.

“We are a small, informal group, mostly pensioners, but we believe that every little bit helps. We meet every Thursday morning and give just one hour of our time to clean an area in Heidelberg.

“We have seen a real improvement in certain places, which motivates us to keep going even though there are still areas that are regularly used as dumping sites.

“Depending on the area being cleaned, we collect between eight and 35 black bags of rubbish each week. The number of bags filled is reported to a designated contact,” she said.

Cloete also highlighted the importance of partnerships in sustaining the initiative.

“We are grateful for the support we receive from different role players. When available, members of LCC join us on Thursday mornings, and someone from Lesedi Local Municipality makes sure that the rubbish is collected every week and that we have black bags to work with. When we first started about five years ago, Crime Stop also helped in collecting the refuse.

“Without this kind of cooperation, it would be much harder for us to continue,” she said.