A construction engineer, Oluwaseun Jegede, has mobilised more than 60 students for a community clean-up exercise at the Anderton Centre in Bolton, United Kingdom, highlighting the role of collective action and project management in promoting environmental sustainability.
The exercise, organised through the Student Sustainability Committee, involved students picking up litter and cleaning the surrounding environment.
Jegede said the initiative provided an opportunity to translate environmental awareness into practical action while demonstrating how leadership, communication and coordination could bring people together around a common goal.
He noted that organising the activity required more than enthusiasm, as participants had to be coordinated, responsibilities communicated and expectations managed to ensure that the exercise achieved its objectives.
He said, “It reminded me that people are often willing to participate when they understand the purpose of an initiative and feel that their contribution matters.”
According to him, the experience reinforced his belief that successful community initiatives depend on trust, clear communication and a shared sense of purpose.
“For me, it was about more than having 60 people in one place. It was an opportunity to see what could happen when people come together around a shared purpose, and it reinforced my belief that people are more likely to engage when they feel valued and included,” he added.
Jegede explained that the initiative demonstrated how sustainability commitments could be translated into practical outcomes through planning, accountability and collective participation.
“The Student Sustainability Committee provided the platform, but the litter-pick needed our collective participation,” he said.
He drew parallels between organising the clean-up and his professional experience in construction project management, which includes working on a $3.5m TotalEnergies staff clubhouse project.
According to him, the principles used in managing large construction projects, including planning, task allocation, stakeholder coordination and progress monitoring, can also be applied to community-based initiatives.
However, Jegede said managing people in volunteer activities required additional flexibility because participants had different interests, commitments and motivations.
“My background in construction project management taught me the importance of planning, coordination and understanding what needs to be achieved. I applied those same principles when organising volunteer activities, but I also recognised that working with people requires a different level of understanding,” he said.
He added that effective leadership involved listening to participants, understanding their motivations and ensuring they felt included in the process.
“The plan provides direction, but it is the people, their commitment and their shared sense of purpose that ultimately make the event successful,” he said.
Jegede also said the success of volunteer activities should not be measured solely by attendance figures, but by the extent to which participants felt welcomed, contributed meaningfully and benefited from the experience.
He noted that practical outcomes, the relationships established among participants and their willingness to support future initiatives were also important measures of success.
On sustainability, Jegede said community clean-up exercises could serve as practical examples of how individuals and groups could contribute to addressing environmental challenges.