About Me
About Me
Hello, I’m Daniel Lewis. I’m a 19-year-old volunteer working to stamp out fly-tipping in the Merthyr Borough.
Back in January 2021, I was with my parents driving over the Merthyr & Gelligaer Common on my way home. As we were driving on the mountain roads, I became disheartened at the sight of fly-tipped waste everywhere. So, I decided to take action. I spent my early days clearing the rubbish alone and paying for disposal costs through pocket money and savings but inspired businesses soon rushed to support my cause by helping to pay to clean up over 40+ tonnes of illicitly dumped waste and by helping to fund a massive solar CCTV network which operates 24/7 across main roads and fly-tipping hotspots on the Merthyr & Gelligaer Common to deter potential fly tippers and to pursue a prosecution should someone still decide to fly tip their waste.
Since then I have expanded my project further into the heart of communities in the Merthyr Borough by running a tyre amnesty skip scheme to allow residents to dispose of unwanted vehicle and bike tyres for FREE and a community skip scheme to allow residents to dispose of any unwanted rubbish for FREE and to educate residents on how to correctly dispose of their waste. This project was done with the help of local business Step Up Skip Hire & Demolition of Treharris who was kind enough to sponsor the cost of each community skip.
What your donations have helped me achieve so far
Accolades
St David Awards
The St David Awards recognise and celebrate the exceptional achievements of people from all walks of life in Wales and abroad. I am very honoured to be the Young Person award 2022 winner for my volunteering efforts on the Merthyr & Gelligaer Common.
The High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan Youth Community Awards
The High Sheriff Awards recognises young people in Mid Glamorgan who have made outstanding contributions either at home or in the community during 2021. I am very honoured to have come first place in the individual category and also won the High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan Cup for one year!
The Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award® scheme recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world. I am very honoured to have won the Young Volunteer of the Year award for my voluntary work at both Cyfarthfa Park and Parc Taf Bargoed.
Bedlinog and Trelewis Community Council People Awards
The Bedlinog and Trelewis Community Council People Awards aims to recognise people who have made a contribution in the community. I am very honoured to have been selected as one of the recipients of this award. Thank you to the residents who nominated me.
The One Show ONE BIG THANK YOU
Each week on The One Show, a member of public is chosen to receive a 'big thank you' for their hard work in their local communities. This week I was selected for a ONE BIG THANK YOU by the BBC team and by members of the public who nominated me. Thank you to everyone for thier continued support.
2022 Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay
The 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay is an event that marks the countdown to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. I am extremley grateful the once in a lifetime opportunity of being a Baton Bearer for the Team Wales 2022 Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay as a thank you for my work in and around the community and on the Merthyr & Gelligaer common.
Gelligaer Community Award
The Gelligaer Community Council Excellence Award is an award bestowed by the local Community Council to recognize and celebrate exceptional contributions to community well-being and development. This prestigious award aims to identify individuals, businesses, or organizations that have gone above and beyond in their service to the community.
Points of Light Award
The Points of Light award is a prestigious honor given out by the Prime Minister to exceptional volunteers making a significant impact in their communities. Initially established in the United States by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, the program crossed the Atlantic to launch in the UK in April 2014. Since then, it has celebrated hundreds of remarkable volunteers throughout Britain for their wide-ranging contributions. I am honoured to be the #1976 recipient of the Points of Light Award for my efforts to remove over 40 tonnes of litter from the Merthyr & Caerphilly Borough, launching an innovative fly-tipping prevention scheme and for installing over 30 solar-powered CCTV systems near fly-tipping hotspots.