Meet Julian Reynolds, a dedicated resident of Keilor Downs whose weekends are anything but ordinary.
While many may opt for relaxation or leisure activities, Julian spends his Saturdays and Sundays volunteering his time to clean up rubbish in Brimbank.
“I started doing this about a year ago, sort of post COVID-19. At first, it was just a few bits and pieces, and now I do it every weekend on Saturday and Sunday,“ Julian said.
His routine begins bright and early, rising at 5am to hit the road. From then until late evening, around 8-8:30 pm, he tirelessly collects litter.
“During the week when I drive around, I see areas that need a bit of attention, and I make a mental note of it and plan to hit them on the weekend,“ Julian explained.
He strategically targets specific spots, focusing on areas with high foot traffic like the Keilor Central car park and the surrounding area of the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre.
For Julian, the decision to dedicate his weekends to community service was a deliberate shift from personal pursuits.
“I was playing a fair bit of golf on the weekends, and I spent a lot of time doing that, but I wasn’t really getting much better. I thought to myself, this is a selfish pursuit, and I decided to do something that other people could benefit from instead,“ he said.
Brimbank councillor Virginia Tachos acknowledged Julian’s efforts at the most recent council meeting, noting his “selfless” pursuit to cleaning up the community.
“On his own volition and with the sole motivation to ‘love where you live’, Julian has collected nearly 40 bags of rubbish from around Brimbank rubbish hotspots – purely on a volunteer basis,” she said.
“… A resident who takes pride also in making our community look better and to keep Brimbank clean.”
Hannah Hammoud
