From Chiltern Footpaths to Climate Solutions: Meet Marcus, This Week’s LitterLotto Jackpot Winner

When Marcus came across LitterLotto in his local council’s magazine, something clicked. He had recently decided to pause work and spend more time outdoors, walking, reflecting, and doing something that had always mattered to him: picking up litter.

“I wanted to be out-and-about, I love walking. And few things bug me more than litter,” he told us. “So this was a perfect fit.”

Marcus lives in Denham, just outside London, where he spends weekends exploring the woodlands and footpaths of the Chiltern Hills. “It’s wonderful to have somewhere so wild on my doorstep,” he says. “At night, the road outside is silent — just the owls in the trees, and the occasional fox on its nightly prowl.”

His connection to nature goes hand in hand with his day job. Marcus is a fundraiser for the brilliant charity Eating Better, which works across society to reduce the environmental impact of our food systems — an often overlooked contributor to climate change.

He also has a long memory for environmental lessons. “At my old primary school in Coventry, our headmaster Mr Jennings used to say, ‘If you see a piece of rubbish on the playground, pick it up and put it in the bin. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t yours.’ Those words have stayed with me for over half a century.”

While he doesn’t consider himself prolific, Marcus makes time each week to collect litter — usually on Fridays or weekends. And although he says this win comes at a helpful moment, it’s never been about the prizes.

“I can honestly say this is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things I have done,” he shared. “If we care about our environment, respect for it starts in our own neighbourhood. It isn’t just about the rainforests and glaciers.”