Derby street cleaner Richard Knapton says picking up litter, weeding flower beds and removing chewing gum from pavements is his ‘dream job’.
The 37-year-old often works six days a week so people will love the city as much as he does.
He said: “I feel very proud when I look around the streets of Derby because I know how long I have spent keeping them clean.”
Richard says he wanted to be a fireman before he realised he was scared of heights. He tried bricklaying, shop fitting and did a stint on the bins before starting with the street cleansing team at Derby City Council.
“This is my dream job and I love it,” said the dad-of-four. “You have to be proud of where you live – and I am. I walk out of my flat on Friar Gate and start picking up litter on my way to meet the team.
“If I’ve got my uniform on, I’m ready to work and want to get Derby clean and tidy.
“The dirtier the project – the happier I am. I can get stuck in and make a difference to the street I am working on,” he laughed.
Richard has been recognised for his hard work and received a Here for Derby award from Derby City Council. To celebrate his achievement, he met King Charles and Queen Camilla at St James’s Palace. The special reception was to recognise local and regional government employees and each Local Authority was asked to nominate representatives.
“Now that place was clean,” he said. “I had a good look at the palace and it was spotless. It was so fantastic and I loved meeting King Charles. It was a day I will never forget, and I felt really proud to do the job I do and be recognised for it.
“King Charles asked me about Derby, and we chatted about why the city is a great place to live.”
Richard works as part of the Derby City Council’s Streetpride team and is responsible for the city centre. He is one of a handful of staff who work across Derby, covering a distance from Derby Train Station to Derby Cathedral.
They partner with Derbyshire Constabulary supporting the city team and work alongside the PCSOs. They also assist the city’s Public Protection Officers who patrol the city centre and are always on the end of the phone if businesses within the Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID), and the St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BID), need support.
“I am always busy – but that is how I like it,” said Richard, who has notched up seven years at Derby City Council. “I can walk thousands of miles around Derby every day and I love using my picker and filling bags up.
“My favourite part of the job is operating our fantastic green machine sweeper.
“She’s one amazing lady. You want to see how fast she can pick up leaves from Friar Gate or London Road. She makes our job easy when we need to sweep up huge areas.
“I was trained to use her a while back and she makes a real difference to the city streets.”
Keeping the city clean, Richard says, is the reason he gets up every day. Of course, he wants to provide for his family, but the satisfaction he gets from this role makes him proud. Coming to work early or knocking off late is never a problem for Richard because if a job needs doing, he’s the one to sort it.
“Every shift is busy no matter when you start or what streets you have been assigned to,” he said. “It can be frustrating when you have worked in an area of Derby and return a short while later to find it littered again, but I just get to work.
“I put on my gloves and get cracking. I am at my happiest when I’m working on a really dirty project – like cleaning up chicken curry that people throw down for the birds at The Spot or working with the PCSOs collecting drug needles or knives.”
Richard says people should be proud of Derby and how clean it is. He says a lot of time and effort goes into making the city an inviting space for visitors to enjoy. Compared to Nottingham and Leicester, he says Derby wins hands down for how clean it is.
“I’ve been to other cities and nowhere is as clean as Derby,” he said. “We all care so much about the areas we work on, and we want to serve our city.
“When people tell us that the planters look nice or the streets are clean, I feel a huge amount of pride.
“Give me my litter picker, my scraper or my shovel and I am ready to work for as long as I am needed.
“I patrol my patch with pride and ensure that everything is how it should be. If there’s a problem – I deal with it.”
Brad Worley, BID Manager for Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BIDs), said: “Richard is a huge support to us and our businesses across the city, and we would like to thank him for the work he does in Derby.
“Without our Streetpride team, Derby would not look as tidy and as clean as it does. We know how hard they all work and I know Richard and his colleagues genuinely do care about this city.
“It makes me extremely pleased to hear that he was presented with an award and got to meet The King. On behalf of everyone at the BID office, and all the businesses, we wish him all the best and congratulate him on this award.”
Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Parks and Leisure, said: “Richard is a shining example of the pride and dedication our Streetpride teams bring to Derby every single day. His commitment to going the extra mile helps keep our city centre clean, welcoming and safe. We’re incredibly proud that his hard work has been recognised at the very highest level.”
To find out more about what’s going on in the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) visit www.derbycathedralquarter.co.uk or www.stpeterquarter.co.uk
Photo Credit Nielsen McAllister.
