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.

 

Welwyn Village Litter Pick

17 Danesbury Park,North Ride,Welwyn,AL6 9SA

01 Jun 2013

23:00

The next Welwyn Village Litter Pick will be on Sunday June 2 at 11am. Meet in the main car park opposite the Doctor's surgery for equipment, hi vis jackets and advice where to pick. Thanks everyone for your support, it makes a huge difference! Thanks to Penny, Leo and Ian this time! Only 5 bags but still it makes a difference. I think (?) there is a bit less litter lying about but I won't get too optimistic yet...see you at the next one! .

upcoming Events

No upcoming events

past Events

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required. We will be joined by representatives from WHCVS (Welwyn Hatfield Community and Voluntary Service)

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans up!

Meet at 11am in main car park in Welwyn opposite Doctor's surgery for bags and pickers if required.

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

This litter pick has been cancelled.

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

Great British Spring Clean

WRAG is now part of the Great British Spring Clean. Meet at the usual time, 11am, in the usual place, car park opposite the doctor's surgery for bags and pickers. For more information go here; http:/...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker).

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). First date...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here is th...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

WRAG Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

Welwyn Rubbish Action Group Cleans Up

Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - please let me know in advance if you need a litter picker). Here are t...

Valentine Litter Pick

Come out and pick litter with your loved one on Valentine's Day! Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and litter pickers (if required - plea...

Happy New Year & 2016 Litter Picks

Starting on January 10th 2016 Welwyn Clean Up Group will go out on the second Sunday of each month. Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery in Welwyn where you can collect bags and ...

Litter Pick - bring the children!

Come on Sunday and bring the children! At 3pm on the 29th March (the day the clocks go forward) meeting at the White Horse in Mill Lane, Welwyn resident Stuart Carnegie has organised a group of childr...

Happy New Year Welwyn Litter Pick!

Meet in car park opposite Doctor's surgery in Welwyn at 11am. I'll provide bags but if you need a picker let me know in advance. Hope to see you there! If you can find some new recruits too, that woul...

Welwyn Village Litter Pick

Hope you can all make another litter pick on Sunday 28th September. Meet at car park opposite Doctor's surgery at 11am. Bags will provided, pickers on request. Look forward to seeing you there!

Welwyn Pick!

Hope you can all make another litter pick on Sunday 20th April. Meet at car park opposite Doctor's surgery at 11am. Bags will provided, pickers on request. Hope to see you there!

Welwyn Pick! NOTE change of date

Please note change of date... We will be sallying forth again on Saturday March 8th at 11am to clear those streets! Meet in the car park opposite Doctor's surgery to collect bags. Do let me know in ad...

Welwyn Pick!

The first litter pick of 2014 will be on Sunday 26th January, weather permitting! Meet at 11am in the car park opposite the doctor's surgery. Bags will be provided but can you let me know if you plan ...

Welwyn Pick!

The last litter pick of 2013 will be on December 15th @ 11am. Meet usual place in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery. There will be Christmas drinks after in the White Hart from 1.30pm. Look f...

Welwyn Pick!

There will be a Welwyn Litter Pick on Sunday 27th October at 11am. Meet in the car park opposite the doctor's surgery for equipment and bags. Hope to see you there!

Welwyn Pick!

There will be a Welwyn Litter Pick on Sunday 6th October at 11am. Meet in the car park opposite the doctor's surgery for equipment and bags. Hope to see you there! Thanks to Laura, Pat, Ian and John ...

Welwyn Village Litter Pick

Sorry but THE JUNE PICK HAS BEEN POSTPONED! The next Welwyn Village Litter Pick will be on Sunday July 21st at 11am. Meet in the main car park opposite the Doctor's surgery for equipment, hi vis jacke...

Welwyn Village Litter Pick

There will be a Welwyn Litter Pick on Sunday 28th April at 11am. Meet in the car park opposite the doctor's surgery for equipment and bags. Hope to see you there! Just a small number of volunteers to...

Welwyn Village Litter Pick

There will be a Welwyn Litter Pick on Sunday 31st March at 11am. Meet in the car park opposite the doctor's surgery for equipment and bags. Hope to see you there! Fantastic we picked up 13 bags of li...

Welwyn Clean Up

There will be a litter pick in Welwyn this Sunday 24th Feb at 11am. Sarah Butcher will meet anyone who would like bags and equipment etc in the car park opposite the Doctor's surgery. We have various ...

Singler's Marsh Clean Up

At the last minute a few of us (4) went out and picked litter on Singler's Marsh from 10am on Sunday morning. In the pouring rain!! However we managed a grand total of 9 bags of litter, two empty pai...

Welwyn Village Litter Pick

There will be a Welwyn Village Litter Pick on Sunday 13th November starting at 11am. Meeting place is in the car park by the playing fields on Ottway Walk (near the Primary School). There will be some...

Welwyn Village Litter Pick

There will be a Welwyn Village Litter Pick on Sunday 18th September starting at 11am. Meeting place is in the car park by the playing fields on Ottway Walk (near the Primary School). There will be som...

Welwyn Village Clean Up

Meet at 9am Welwyn Playing Fields Car Park (off Ottway Walk). Litter pickers, gloves, refuse bags and fluorescent jackets will be provided. Please wear suitable clothing and bring refreshments if need...

Nearby Groups

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.

Syresham Litterpickers
The group was initiated by the Parish Council with the aim of ensuring that our village and its environs are kept neat and tidy and as litterfree as possible. We welcome more helpers at our next litterpick on Saturday 21st March 2009.
0
16 years
View
The Rudloe Mob
We are not really a group! We are a loose alliance! We started as dog walkers and photographers back in the 70s. I would be walking with our hound and stop to take a picture only to find that foreground rubbish had to be removed. This led to always taking bags for rubbish whenever I went out. For larger items (fly-tips etc) I would move them to a suitable roadside location and call the council who were (and are) very obliging. My “comrades” would do the same. This has been going on ever since (our last dog departed some years ago but the walking and photography continue).

My current (well actually for many years) “bete noire” is bagged dog crap. Twas quite funny, some years ago we had a serial crap flinger - it was everywhere: undergrowth, behind walls, brambles, trees etc. So, one weekend we decided to have a blitz on the stuff. We found about 250 bags in the undergrowth along Leafy Lane, over 100 in one location behind a dry stone wall and so on - a total of around 700 bags altogether. I was walking down my road with a bin bag of bagged dog crap over each shoulder when a neighbour stopped me and asked what I had in the bags! Since that time he and his wife have been inveterate litter pickers. The bagged dog crap problem continues. I have picked up about 30 in various locations over the past couple of weeks (this statement will be approximately true whenever you are reading this!). I used to think that this was just one halfwit on the loose, but it appears that this extraordinary behaviour is common practice. I believe (and I have written to Wilts CC about this) that the socially-acceptable practice of bagging dog crap, binning it and dumping it into landfill is an aberration. We have programmes on TV where ologists of various kinds look at ancient middens to find out how people lived. What will future ologists think of our society?

“Look - they used to wrap up their dog crap and bury it - how weird!”

Talking of weird, an odd incident occurred during my 23 Jan 2012 pick-up. I had a good bin-bag full of rubbish which I was attempting to stuff into the waste bin at Northleaze Mobile Home Park when one of a posse of locals shouted over “Oi - what do you think you’re doing?”. A small exchange ensued during which I explained that this was at least a weekly occurrence and I was tidying-up THEIR environment. But they were having none of it - “You can’t do that”, one said. I should say that this lady did offer to put the rubbish in her own bin but by this time the bin-bag was ripped and taking it out again would have seen the rubbish spilled on the ground. Anyway, their objection seemed to be one of possession - it was their bin! This would be fair enough if the bin was ever used but every time I deposit rubbish in that bin, it is empty (as it was on this occasion). It seems that they want theoretical of the bin without ever using it! Anyway my bin-bag was stuffed into the bin; the bin was emptied by the council the next morning and I stuffed a further bag of rubbish into it later that day. It is odd that no account is taken of rubbish lying in the street but clearance of that same rubbish invokes local disapproval!

Another anecdote - for many years, on Sunday mornings when out walking the dog, I would find an empty bottle of South African white wine (always South African) and an empty (70cl) bottle of vodka tightly knotted into a Tescos plastic bag in the lay-by in White Ennox Lane. What a wild time they must have had and what an interesting drive home.

The bizarre things you find when out collecting rubbish! Today, 25 Nov 2012, it was the “Bath & Wells Diocesan News”, No 264, December 1980 (see pic)! This was by the bus stop at the top of Box Hill. I can imagine the Bishop of Bath & Wells waiting for the bus in his vestments with his mitre and crosier (or is that Catholic bishops?) and unfortunately dropping his News on boarding the bus. One of the News items was the 1980 General Synod at which a major issue would be the ordination of women! Now, thirty-two years on, the Synod has been voting on women bishops. What a slow-moving organisation the C of E is!

By the way, the 20,000 or so bags picked up is an estimate, but probably a conservative one. My weekly pick-up is about 8 bags - 8x52x32(years) is about 13,000. I am, no doubt, doing a great disservice to the rest of the Mob in estimating their input as only 7,000 bags - watch out for the update.

The following table started in 2012, which I will try to update regularly, gives an idea of the scale of the ‘problem’.

1 Jan 2012: B3109, Skynet Drive, field edge 4+bags+mattress - called Wilts CC
2 Jan 2012: Leafy Lane, woods and playing fields, 5 bags
3 Jan 2012: Boxfields Road, Box Hill Common 3 bags+ fly tip - called Wilts CC
4 Jan 2012: Quarry Hill, 3 bags + bagged dog crap (BDC)
5 Jan 2012: B3109, A4 to Hare & Hounds 5 bags+ BDC (7 bags)
6 Jan 2012: Leafy Lane & A4 towards Corsham, 5 bags
7 Jan 2012: B3109, Skynet Drive, Park Lane, 4 bags+ BDC
8 Jan 2012: A4 towards Box, 2 bags
9 Jan 2012: B3109 & A4 towards Corsham, 4 bags
12 Jan 2012: Boxfields Road 1 bag+ small fly tip - called Wilts CC
16 Jan 2012: B3109 & A4 towards Corsham, 4 bags
17 Jan 2012: B3109, Skynet Drive, The Carriage Drive, Pound Mead, 7 bags
23 Jan 2012: B3109 & A4 towards Corsham, 3 bags + BDC
24 Jan 2012: B3109 & A4 towards Corsham, 2 bags
28 Jan 2012: Leafy Lane & B3109 from small Fiveways towards Corsham, 1 bag
7 Feb 2012: B3109 and A4 towards Corsham, 1 bag
8 Feb 2012: Leafy Lane and woodland, 2 bags
12 Feb 2012: A4 towards Box, 4 bags
13 Feb 2012: Rudloe Firs and A4 towards Corsham 10 bags (and still stuff remaining)
13 Feb 2012: (later) B3109, 2 bags
21 Feb 2012: B3109, 1 bag
23 Feb 2012: B3109, Leafy Lane, Leafy Lane Playing Fields, 14 bags

Okay, I guess you get the picture so with one month being very much like another I will discontinue the diary. This is a week-on-week, year-on-year occupation. The last pick-up listed above is instructive though - let me elaborate .. Leafy Lane Playing Fields is a 20 acre site at the south-eastern edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Its users include football clubs, cricket clubs etc but the principal user is AFC Corsham who do an outstanding job in providing opportunities for young people to play football. AFC Corsham runs 15 teams for youngsters between the ages of around 5 to 15/16. You can imagine therefore the number of youngsters provided for and the scores of parents who ferry their charges back and forth from home to ground and back. All fine BUT it appears that not one of the committee, managers and coaches, parents or others gives a hoot about the enormous piles of litter which are left to accumulate week after week. Rather than an AONB, Leafy Lane Playing Fields resembles a rubbish tip. The Rudloe Mob has an onslaught on the accumulation every couple of months or so. Of the 14 bags collected on 23rd February 2012, 10 came from the playing fields and this was just the tip of the iceberg (see photographs of some of what still remains). The state of the playing fields is, I believe, representative of the state of Britain. A 20-acre site frequented by a community of users who deposit rubbish then cheerfully wander through that same rubbish without giving it a second thought. With regard to litter, whether it is at community or national level, in general “we” couldn’t care less.

In the eighties “that cow” (as described by our local MP at the time, the 6th Earl of Kilmorey or Sir Richard Needham) appointed Richard Branson as the uncrowned king of litter - see this 2005 Guardian article on the subject https://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2005/sep/24/comment - but his campaign along with all others, like the long-established Keep Britain Tidy, failed or is failing. It is not good enough to have high-profile personalities, photo-shoots and high-salaried executives with meaningless job descriptions - take a look at the job description for the £40k plus Head of Communications and Marketing at Keep Britain Tidy:

OUTCOMES TO BE DELIVERED
*Implementation and delivery of the five year communications strategy and annual action plan
*Enhanced reputation of Keep Britain Tidy and its sub-brands
*Senior management feel supported through provision of strategic advice and guidance
*New income streams developed, for example, from behaviour change campaigns
*Stakeholders strategically managed and influenced
*Resources managed effectively within budget to meet to customer demand
*Visible leadership to the relevant communications teams as well as across the wider organisation
*Enhanced profile of the organisation with the relevant audiences
*Public membership scheme developed and successfully implemented, when agreed

Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burns! We are drowning in a sea of rubbish! You can see the outcome of almost 60 years of Keep Britain Tidy in the small community area covered by this Litteraction webpage. YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET OUT THERE AND PICK UP RUBBISH -REGULARLY!
20750
55 years
View
Debenhamlitterpickers
This group is in a picturesque Suffolk village, with excellent contractors coming here frequently collecting 4 binfuls of litter a week - but still the litter comes!! Time for a Spring clean and community action!
217
10 years
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Great Dunmow Grabber(s)
Living near the recreation ground and being a dog walker I usually pick up litter whilst wandering and have taken part in litter clearance events in Chelmsford. My hope is that by setting up this group I can act as a focal point for local residents in helping to maintain the beauty of this town by taking part in occasional "pick-up" events.
19
16 years
View
Hunslet Carr Wombles
This is a rolling monthly litter picks of different Hunslet Carr neighbourhoods. The Leeds City Council Litter Picking Kit will be supplied, so all you need to do is bring yourself.
0
3 years
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Keep Stoke Tidy
Welcome to the Keep Stoke Tidy group. We are a small group of volunteers with an increasing concern about the litter across the city. It seems difficult to walk more than a few yards lately without coming across at least one discarded face mask, food wrapper or empty plastic bottle. Rather than choose to live with this we have decided to improve the situation by making a city-wide litter-picking network that we are calling ‘Keep Stoke Tidy’. Our aim is to make sure that every area of this wonderful city has an active litter picking group and through the wonder of social media we would like to support those groups in advertising litter picking events. For those areas that don’t have a litter picking group it would be great to see new ones start up. Throughout the year each group will continue to have their usual local litter picking days but with a larger network it would be brilliant to think that each month of the year we could vote for an area to focus on. We could then arrange an event with a larger group of volunteers, with as many people as possible from all of the other groups coming to work together to focus on that area. We will be arranging events throughout the coming year and posting them on here as well as on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1101046337300192 If you are arranging an event in Stoke-on-Trent and would like more pickers please get in touch.
12
3 years
View
Handsworth Clean-up Squad
Our focus will be the park located on Watt street as well as the surrounding pavements and streets. Eventually when there are enough members we can expand further and target other localised areas within Handsworth.
0
3 years
View
Harrow Litterbusters
This is a new group that I am setting up. I have in the past 15 years picked up over 5,000 bags of litter in North Harrow and surrounding area. There's more that can be done and I need your help and also help you in your area. Come and join us the Harrow Litterbusters!
5000
13 years
View
Windmill Hill Green Party
After conducting a survey in the area, litter was mentioned as a menace. The Green Party in Windmill Hill would like to organise a litter picking day on Saturday 13th April 2019.
0
6 years
View
Coventry Canal
I am an individual who walks part of the Coventry canal to and from work everyday. I have only been walking along the canal since October 2017 despite being a Coventrian my entire life! It is the city's best kept secret and so peaceful and calm away from crowds and cars. But it makes me angry and sad to see such a beautiful habitat ruined with litter so I started picking litter! I usually pick on my way to/from work in the week but I plan to do more at the weekends and travel further to notoriously messy parts of the canal. If anyone would care to join me to make a difference and tidy up for the animals and all of us to enjoy, please get in touch :) Thank you, Jennysha P.S. There is now a new Canal & River Trust Towpath Taskforce which runs on Thursday mornings - please see CRT website for more info. Give as much or as little time as you can :) Please report any flytipping via: 1) website: fixmystreet.com 2) email: enquiries.westmidlands@canalrivertrust.org.uk
41
7 years
View

Start a LitterAction group

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?

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