Lorraine Chase (Patron)

Lorraine Chase (Patron) was brought up in Lewisham, south-east London. After working as a model, she shot to fame with her appearance in the 1970s “Luton airport” Campari advert. She then embarked on an acting career spanning 40 years in which she has appeared in numerous television dramas and comedies. They include two of her own sit-coms, The Other Arf and Lame Ducks, the delightful Dolly Clothespeg in Worzel Gummidge and Stephanie Stokes in Emmerdale as well as numerous appearances in the West End.

Lorraine believes very strongly that our surroundings are very important to our mental wellbeing and to the way we look at and react to the world and people around us. We all want to live in a clean and kindly environment and it is in our power to do so. “Clean your area. Don’t be the one that drops the litter in the first place”, she says.

“Look out for your neighbours. I’m a very private person as is the lovely elderly lady who lives next door. But when my path needs the leaves or the snow cleared l do mine and then I do hers. If her bins are left out, l put them back in their place. It cost nothing but my goodness it makes you feel good about yourself and others. And smile !”.

Lorraine joined CleanupUK on a litter pick one winter’s evening in Stepney and what she liked about it was that it was fun to meet up – some people knew each other and some didn’t – and when the litter-picking sticks were handed out it felt empowering rather than the usual tut-tutting about the litter in the vicinity. And she liked the social aspect afterwards when we retired to the local pub and we talked to people to see how they could become involved.

“If you make your surroundings clean, then everyone benefits.” Lorraine is delighted to be helping CleanupUK use litter-picking as a means of making communities safer and stronger.