Driving an award-winning anti-litter ‘pester power’ campaign
In 2019 Wendy Schollum spearheaded the Hastings District Council ‘Don’t be a Cheeky Chucker’ anti-litter campaign. Being a mum and having run a children’s media company for 5 years, Wendy knew to achieve long-term, sustainable change Hastings needed to leverage the passion and ‘pester power’ of the district’s children.
In 2021 the already successful campaign was expanded to include two mascots who visit local schools and attend events to keep the anti-litter message top of mind.
Fun Fact: When scheduled actors were unable to attend a Te Mata School and Havelock North Primary School visit, Wendy Schollum donned the ‘Luke - the Litter Legend’ mascot outfit herself (that’s her in green in this photo).
The anti-litter campaign has been nationally recognised and was specifically mentioned by the judges when Hastings won the Supreme Award in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards 2020 and again when Hastings was named the Most Beautiful Small City in 2021.
Hawke’s Bay Today Local Focus article introducing the anti-litter mascots…
Tamariki are telling people in Hasting to clean up their act and stay beautiful, and that's the goal of a renewed campaign launched by Hastings District Council on Saturday.
The council plans to stop littering using the "pester power" of children, helping to develop a cultural intolerance of littering.
And it's extended an anti-litter campaign by bringing cartoon characters to life.
"We are introducing two new mascots within Hastings," Hastings District Councillor Wendy Schollum said.
"We've got our Litter Legend Luke and our Cheeky Chucker Colin.
"Luke and Colin are best friends but like in most relationships there can be a slight falling out. In this case, the little falling out is around litter.
"Colin our Cheeky Chucker tends to drop his litter wherever he likes and Luke is not okay with that.
"So Luke is here teaching him what to do. To do the right thing and put it in the bin or take it home and dispose of it properly.
"The whole idea is they will target families and children.
"Not because we think they are causing the littering, but because we know they care and so they are going to take a message home.
Article by Patrick O’Sullivan, Hawke’s Bay Today