Welcome to our first Cleanzine broadcast since our Summer break. If you’ve had a break too, I hope it’s been a good one. As usual, I’ve spent time at festivals - no, not the sort where the site’s left in a disgraceful mess full of litter, excrement and the like, along with perfectly good tents and other equipment folk can’t be bothered to take home with them, but smaller, family-orientated gatherings frequented by those whose mantra is ‘leave no trace’. We unwind, try out new crafts and musical instruments, listen to and take part in talks, experience other cultures, sing songs in different languages, drum, listen to music while dancing outside (generally in the rain this year!) and really learn how to get the best out of life, lived simply, without alcohol or drugs and in a community filled with love, respect, helpfulness and sharing. 

 

It wasn’t a planned experiment but a spur of the moment thing, (which so often happens at events like this) but I was passing a line of other ‘Into the Wild’ festival-goers in beautiful Sussex queuing to use a small bank of compost loos – two of which were being cleaned not by paid cleaners but by volunteers who receive free entry into the event and a daily meal in return for a few hours of their time. I observed how the line reacted when the ‘cleaners’ came out of the newly-serviced cubicles and waited for another one to empty. Nothing. I must say I was a little surprised, bearing in mind the sort of people at the event, but I suppose it’s ingrained in us. It’s how most people react when they encounter a cleaner. As if they’re not there. I yelled out, loudly: “Thank you so much for the hard work you’re putting in to what must be a horrible job! Well done for looking after us so well and keeping everything clean!” I started clapping loudly. To my delight, everyone joined in – not just those in the queue but others in the vicinity who realised what was needed. Shouts of thanks, too. I’ll let you know how things go when I try that at Waterloo Station or similar. I’m planning on starting a trend… 

 

As you might imagine, I whooped with delight upon receiving news over our break that the British Cleaning Council has finally won the battle for approval for a ‘Cleaning Hygiene Operative Apprenticeship’. This means that the Apprenticeship Levy so many businesses in our industry pay each year, will be put towards training for our own frontline workers rather than being spent elsewhere. Congratulations BCC for ‘keeping at it’!

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