Young Ambassadors plan litter pick

Entitled the Foyle Ambassador Programme, the initiative has a strongly environmental theme, with a focus on the River Foyle.

Commenting on the initiative Gillian Simpson, from Loughs Agency, said: “We are delighted to be able to mentor these 12 young people through a programme that will educate them on the wonderful resources of the Foyle. The programme will take them on a journey of the Foyle through a range of activities from litter picks to angling to power boating and canoeing. We hope that by the end of the programme the young people will have an increased understanding of biodiversity and value of the river in terms of recreation and commercial use and that they will be proud ambassadors of the river.”

So far, the group has installed two sustainable drainage basins at the Loughs Agency in Prehen and canoed from the Strabane/Lifford Bridge to the Gribben, near Bready.

During their canoe trip the young people commented on the amount of litter they could see along the river banks and caught in trees.

Gillian said: “Next week the ambassadors are planning to do a litter pick and hope to be able to make something creative with what is collected’.