At Sacred Heart Catholic School in Blackrock, Ireland, a simple idea is creating powerful ripple effects throughout the community: children becoming environmental leaders through the Picker Pals programme.
Each week, pupils bring home a Picker Pack and set off on litter-picking adventures with their families. What begins as a school activity quickly becomes a shared community experience – parents, siblings, and caregivers joining together to improve local streets, parks and neighbourhood spaces.
Back in the classroom, children share their experiences, reflect on what they’ve found, and celebrate their contributions. This cycle of learning and action helps reinforce environmental awareness in a way that feels practical, fun and meaningful.
The benefits extend well beyond litter collection. Teachers report improvements in teamwork, confidence, resilience, and wellbeing. Children are spending more time outdoors, engaging with their surroundings and developing a stronger sense of responsibility for their environment.
OEC’s sponsorship of Picker Pals in Blackrock schools (TBC) is helping to strengthen this impact, ensuring more children can access the programme and more families can take part in shared environmental action.
A key strength of Picker Pals lies in its ability to connect people – classrooms, homes, and local communities – around a shared purpose. Over time, these small weekly actions accumulate into lasting cultural change: cleaner streets, stronger community pride, and a generation more aware of its environmental responsibility.
As the programme continues to grow, the message remains simple but powerful: when children are empowered to act, entire communities benefit.
