Stoke's streets cleaner thanks to environmental ambassador

Streets in Stoke town are being kept safe and clean thanks to the work of a dedicated environmental ambassador who's singlehandedly removed 4.5 tonnes of litter in less than five months.

Dan Dick has been in post since August 2025 and has contributed to the town being a cleaner environment for people to live, work and socialise in.

The aim of his role as Stoke Town Environmental Ambassador is to keep public spaces clean, safe and well maintained, while responding quickly to anything that needs attention.

Dan’s appointment has been made possible by the city council’s government-funded High Street Accelerator programme working in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID (Business Improvement District).

Stoke was one of 10 towns in the country awarded HSA funding and the money has been used to revitalise the town centre. It has funded many things, including greenspace schemes, heritage projects, murals and trails.

Dan's achievements since his appointment include:

• Collecting and disposing of 4.5 tonnes of rubbish
• Safely removing 76 needles
• Removing 18 bedding items
• Removing 13 graffiti incidents
• Reporting 25 environmental issues, including fly tipping, abandoned bins and broken or damaged public property.

Dan said: "The work I do isn't always glamorous and not always appreciated, but this isn't about praise and rewards - I do it because I care.

"Seeing an area improve because you've put the graft in, hearing a shop owner say thanks or walking through somewhere knowing you helped make it better is the real reward. Stoke is a great place and we should all take pride in it."

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Dan has worked hard and showed great dedication to keeping the streets of Stoke safe and tackling issues within the town. In just six months, he has already achieved so much and made it a source of pride and an attractive place to live and visit. As a city council, we are committed to creating a healthier, safer city for all our residents.”