Vicky Pattinson joins ‘Keep it Clean’ McDonald’s scheme in Newcastle

Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattinson has joined up with McDonald’s volunteers to help out with the new ‘Keep it Clean’ campaign in Newcastle.

The team of volunteers, joined by Pattinson, were on hand to clean up litter from a park where Pattinson used to play as a child.

The cleanup event was one of 91 across the UK, marking McDonald’s biggest nationwide litter pick up that saw over 150 restaurants get involved, along with 1,300 volunteers that were joined by reality TV stars, radio presenters, sporting legends and musical artists.

Their efforts saw a collection of over 1000 bags of litter across the country, with Pattinson joining the team at The Rising Sun Country Park, where the crew encouraged locals to get involved in Newcastle either through organised events or with family and friends.

Franchisee Billy Liddy, who owns and operates seven restaurants in the area, said: “It was fantastic to see Vicky in her hometown, doing her bit to keep the city looking beautiful. I’m passionate about tackling the problem of litter in Newcastle and Benton, especially in the areas local to my restaurants.

“My teams go on daily litter-picking walks, and we organise regular litter picks as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our streets clean and tidy.”

McDonald’s has also announced the LitterLotto, encouraging people to pick up litter and share a photo of them doing so to be in with a chance to win a prize, with a jackpot of £25,000 on offer.

Simon Jacobs, Lord of Litter at LitterLotto, said: “We’re excited to be working together with McDonald’s to incentivise people to bin their litter responsibly, and experience the joy of binning by winning prizes through the LitterLotto app. Together with McDonald’s UK, we’re on a quest to reduce litter, protect wildlife, clear our rivers and oceans of waste material - and make more waste available for recycling.”

McDonald’s increase in litter picking activities comes as they hit their 40-year milestone of formally collecting litter in local communities, with an average of 27 tonnes of litter collected every year by the volunteering teams.