Florence, aged nine, came to bibic in January for an assessment after concerns she had ADHD and Autism…

She had difficulties with anxiety and her behaviour, something that has really helped her is litter picking, which she has now been doing for five years, not only has she inspired the whole family to pick but also a team of over 40 other Yeovil residents.

Therapy Manager, Chelsey stated “Litter picking gives Florence responsibility, which massively improves her self-esteem, it has given her something to identify with, instead of feeling she has no place in the world. She feels a sense of achievement from her street clean mission and it gives her purpose.”

Florence’s street clean mission began, as her mum stated, when “She got annoyed at the litter on the beach on holiday and when we got home, she asked me to video a message. That simple message was uploaded as a bit of a joke, but we were contacted by the paper and TV within 48 hours.”

Florence’s important message didn’t stop there, she has met the major, local police and several TV and newspaper reporters from cleaning up the streets. “Florence has done TV and radio interviews but anxiety was massive for the BBC Somerset sound one and I actually thought she may bottle it. She was desperate to share her message and with some calm time from the interviewer she did brilliantly.”

Litter picking for Florence and her family is an ongoing mission, “We love helping keep the town tidy however it can be frustrating when the litter appears within hours of picking.”

However, this doesn’t get Florence’s spirit down, “Florence rarely gets annoyed with it and has that endless mission to keep on trucking. She has befriended a fair few of the South Somerset District Council teams and insists I beep at every litter picker in the South West.”

Florence’s passion has also rubbed off on her younger brother, “Harrison joined the ranks as a tiny two-year-old and she now calls him her deputy in charge.” No job is too big or small for them, “They have cleared flytips, litter, laybys. We rarely come home without a bag in the boot.”

Since Florence’s assessment at bibic, there has been an improvement in home life, as well as managing situations, Florence’s mum stated “I am going away armed with the information I need to help my daughter achieve and be her very best. She enjoyed her time at bibic.” The assessment helped Florence’s family understand the world through her eyes.

What an inspiration Florence has been and continues to be to keep our streets clean, with the help of her family and a huge team behind her, backing her along the way.

bibic is a national charity based in Langport, Somerset. It delivers therapeutic programmes to children and young adults aged 6 months to 25 years with developmental and neurological difficulties. bibic sees them with or without diagnosis and supports a wide range of neurological and genetic conditions.

If you would like to support us in helping children just like Florence to reach their full potential, you can Sponsor a UK child with bibic. Visit our website to find out how.

bibic.org.uk/support-us/sponsor-a-uk-child