Important: Litter can be contaminated, so we have put together some information to help you handle it safely. Please click on this link to have a read through our Health and Safety Guidance before you go out litter-picking.
Important: Litter can be contaminated, so we have put together some information to help you handle it safely. Please click on this link to have a read through our Health and Safety Guidance before you go out litter-picking.
Coventry Towpath Taskforce: 9.30-12 My very first time joining the Coventry towpath taskforce run by the Canal & River Trust (CRT), I joined a lovely group of volunteers at around 9.40 (the start time is 9.30am). Of course I walked along the towpath there :) this time taking a right on bridge 3 rather than a left turn like I normally do. The dredging team were getting started, the sun was shining gloriously and the ducks were all snoozing in the grassy verges at the side as I walked past. I smelled beautiful roses from the bank opposite and spotted a beautiful garden through some brambles with what looked like a village of garden birds all enjoying such a lovely space these homeowners had crafted for these feathered creatures. I arrived at Freehold Street, a small park space by the towpath, just a short walk from bridge 4 (and not far from bridge 5a) where the ‘snake’ art on the trail can be found.
The volunteer leader forgot to order the paint for the railings here so we just did a litter pick to begin. I found it quite ironic that they had a shrine of some sort to a member of the community, perhaps a gang member(?) who died/was killed consisting of lined up beer bottles and spirits of some sort in front of a graffiti art portrait of this individual sprayed on the side of someone’s house. It was decided, probably wisely, to leave the bottles as they are although to be frank I class this as litter and did not care for it at all but I guess we didn’t/don’t want to get embroiled in some gang warfare! It would be better if they joined us to respect the area and themselves I believe but then again I might be on the receiving end of being murdered. I would much prefer someone worked with these troubled angry individuals to help socialise them and transform them into positive hopeful people. They need a few decent role models, to improve their self-worth and esteem and with respect for themselves they will be able to respect others and be considerate towards their environment. Anyway...so I also found hidden under some bushes, what appeared to be a very sharp fancy sword, perhaps some kind of combat tool, I don’t know, I didn’t get much of a chance to look at it before it was whisked away by a volunteer who decided to inspect and examine it himself and tuck it away in the leader’s vehicle and then relay everything back to us! Note to self: next time I find something ‘interesting’ on a group litter pick, key word here being ‘group’, I shall look it over myself and then tell someone about it! Anyway we picked and chatted and I had a great conversation with an environmentalist who is hoping to build an edible community garden along the towpath which sounds so wonderful so watch this space! This is the kind of thing we should all be doing anyway or more of - we need to reclaim our power, our sense of community, our love and care for one another rather than being governed and controlled by those employed to make us live in a constant state of fear and encourage us with their lies and misinformation to hate one another. Some of the group also then ventured on to the towpath itself; some picked litter, some took a net and fished out a wheelie bin (mostly intact), a cone, part of a bucket and lots of misc bits from the canal itself, others trimmed and pruned back overgrowth. We called it a day around midday as the sun was getting us all hot and bothered and we had done all we could without venturing further afield. The leader was very welcoming and invited me to come back and stressed the importance of coming when and how often I could and also not feeling forced to commit to the entire session which was really good to hear and much appreciated as I do usually work but had made an exception to start later in order to participate in the volunteering, so it’s nice to know I can leave before the end of the session in the future to accommodate work! All in all a wonderful morning spent with a lovely group of volunteers, made me smile and feel so good on my walk back along part of the towpath and street to work. And I most definitively will be going again! I might even try to convince the leader to take on some of my suggestions for reducing as much single use plastic (black bin bags) as we can...he did say suggestions are very welcome! P.S. I don’t normally add my bags picked on a group pick but as I’m listing it as an event, I shall! I picked two bags’ worth!.
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These groups are near to you in case you want to contact them for advice, to offer them support or, for example, to share equipment with them.
Here at CleanupUK, we want to help you to take LitterAction! Wherever you live in the UK, forming your own community litter-picking group will help to keep your community safer, more friendly and free of litter. It’s lots of fun too. Why not muck in and join us?
