Lord Mayor launches Picker Pals 2023 with pupils of Scoil na Croise Naofa, Mahon

THE Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, has officially launched this year's 'Picker Pals' programme - an initiative he says "inspires local environmental stewardship now and into the future".

Delivered by the environmental NGO VOICE, Picker Pals provides participating classrooms with a 'Picker Pack' which they take turns to bring home at the weekend and go litter-picking with their families in their local areas. 

Now in its fifth year of operation, over 33,000 children have taken part and Picker Pals estimate over 450t of litter has been removed from the environment in Ireland since the programme began in 2019.

The initiative embraces storytelling and creativity and motivates children to become young environmentalists through the story of the Picker Pals, who live in Pickerupolis - a flying island in the sky. 

Interactive content including Picker Pals TV available on YouTube brings fun to what can otherwise be seen as a mundane and unappealing job. 

The Lord Mayor launched this year's programme at Scoil na Croise Naofa in Mahon this week.

"Promoting a sense of pride and community among the citizens of Cork city is something very close to my heart so I am delighted so many schools in the city are taking part in this programme that inspires local environmental stewardship now and into the future for our schoolchildren and their families,” he said. 

With almost 1,400 classrooms nationally getting involved again this year, Picker Pals is set for another busy school year.

"We did the programme last year and the children really enjoy it," teacher at Scoil na Croise Naofa, Ms Cooney, said. 

"Plus there is a huge drive in the community of Mahon for Tidy Towns currently and we want to help out and encourage responsibility and pride for our children’s' local community," she added.

CEO of VOICE, Tad Kirakowski, said VOICE is delighted to be working with Cork City Council to deliver the Picker Pals programme again this year. 

"Working with Cork city we deliver to schools across the city and support Cork's aim to be carbon neutral by 2030," he said.