Quickfire Closed Group

Who are we? We are an environmental group undertaking planting in our village, litter picks, promoting reduction in Co2 and smart driving, and working with the local community to make our village a litter free area. We deliver over 1700 newsletters around our village promoting our message and work with Thringstone Primary School and the local brownie group various events, including a scarecrow festival in June 2011 which brought together all sectors of the community . We held another scarecrow event, in conjunction with Thringstone Methodists, on Saturday 6th July 2013. Our chairman litter picks daily, and is helped by others who litter pick regularly. We try, where possible, to recycle items which can be recycled. We petitioned for extra recycling bins in our village and now have two tin and plastic bottle recycling points and a glass recycling point, and are currently asking for the council to consider ways of recycling acceptable items put in roadside litter bins. Between February 2013 and the end of February 2014, we removed 1,958 bags of litter from the village and woodlands, which we feel is a staggering amount. We have also worked with other groups on environmental issues in the village, and were part of the steering group that saw Thringstone Youth Club win the Children and Young People's Green Footprints Award in 2011 for their mural project. We have taken over several flowerbeds and previously untidy and unused areas in the village for planting and offer historical and environmental walks around the village. Please see our website which is www.friends-of-thringstone.org.uk for further details on our group, plus details on our constitution, health and safety policy, equal opportunities policy, parental consent statements and volunteer expenses statement. You can also see on that site details of all our publications. What have we done? In 2009 we won the NW Leicestershire Green Footprints Awards, were awarded an outstanding achievement certificate by East Midlands In Bloom in 2009, and won a gold and silver in the village achievement awards run by the Rural Community Council. In 2010 and were finalists in the Community and Partnerships category of the NWLDC's Green Footprints Awards and again in 2013. In 2011 we won The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, something of which we are very proud, especially since 2011 was the European Year of Volunteering,. In 2015 we won the Big Tidy Award at the Keep Britain Tidy Jubilee Awards 2015. We have a facebook page, and we are also on twitter - address is @Thringstone2. In 2019, our chairman was awarded a British Empire Medal for service to Thringstone and in September 2019, her dog, who accompanied her on all her litter picks, was awarded a commendation from the PDSA.

If you're reading this you're probably already aware that there is a serious litter problem and something must be done! As well as solo daily pickings while walking the dogs, I'm also organising various community clean-ups, mostly a monthly one at the Welsh Harp. I have lots of equipment which I'm very happy to lend out, as well as welcoming suggestions for other areas that need a clean-up. Please contact if you wish to get involved.

Individual not a group...... picking from part of the Grove, Jumpers Avenue and Bus stops, part Barrack Road Jumpers.

Raising awareness campaign. Connecting all interested groups and individuals, under the umbrella Pick Up For Pendle. Aiming to encourage more people to pick-up and offenders to take note!

We are a group of dog walkers who regularly walk Weymouth Beach and notice litter being left behind by beach users. On 6th November we collected over 10 bags of litter left from Guy Fawkes night.

The Trust has been in existence for over 20 years but only started its annual spring litter pick in 2007. Normally between 10 and 20 people turn out to help. We also have individual members that keep their local area free of litter. We are a registered charity, which aims to improve the environment in the village and promote a high standard of development, whether it be in new buildings or the renovation and alteration of existing property. We aim to secure the protection and improvement of features of public and historic interest and encourage an interest in the history of the area. Issues that we have addressed over recent years include the desirability and standard of new development proposals and changes to the use and appearance of existing buildings, a wide variety of traffic and highway issues, litter and dog fouling. We have arranged for the erection of plaques to provide information about people and buildings of historic interest, organised village litter pick days and had a variety of speakers at our open meetings. We have presented Design Awards for the best new development, following a poll of members. In the past we have published booklets of items about the history and development of the village and produced a leaflet of heritage trails in the village. More recently we have produced a local directory and been assisting the local businesses and community groups in organising the Shotley Bridge Victorian Christmas Weekend, including litter picks to keep the village looking attractive during the event. In 2011 we were awarded 'outstanding' in the RHS 'It's Your Neighbourhood" award scheme for Britain in Bloom. We have purchased 50 flower tubs, 8 barrier baskets and a trough for the conservation area and our volunteers plant and maintain summer & winter bedding. in 2012 we entered Northumbria in Bloom and were awarded Silver. We gained a Silver Gilt in 2013 and again in 2014. We are aiming for Gold in 2015. Each year we give awards for the best business & residential floral displays. Open meetings are held 3 times a year in the Catholic Church Hall for members and guests to raise and discuss issues arising in the village. Please visit our website for further information.

Litter picking and much much more in Stanmore Country Park, Stanmore Common & Ponds. Green Gym work outs can include helping volunteer wardens with various projects, including shrub clearance, bramble cutting-back, unwanted shoot removal and any other environmental jobs under guidance! We have guided walks with knowledgeable wardens and keen amateurs. This is an opportunity to meet new people and enjoy quiet and lovely natual environments in north west London. All this and litter picking too! Come and join us!! The litter-picking is just one means of keeping these rural areas pleasant for all kinds of aminal users including human ones!

Petersfield Pickers Community Group has been formed by a number of volunteers on the Petersfield Pulse Facebook Community Page. Members of Petersfield Pulse are all from Petersfield and surrounding areas.

Sending an invitation to those in our local area who share my wish to enjoy our local environment without the litter-fringed roads and verges that so many seem to have accepted as the norm.

Bricket Wood Litter Pickers started as a very small band of willing volunteers and with better advertising through posters and social media we have grown to a 30 strong group plus several fantastic 'Lone Rangers'. We currently do 2 main litterpicks in Spring and Autumn plus we support as many local events as possible including World Rivers Day.