Whittlesford Parish Church and Volunteer Network

Welcome to Riders against Rubbish. A group for cyclists that care about the environment they ride through. A hopeful hub of activity and encouragement to help rid our tracks, trails and rides of the rubbish we all too often see in our hedgerows and more.

To improve and enhance Wycombe Marsh by way of environmental improvements for current and future residents and visitors to Wycombe Marsh. We work with residents, local authorities, other agencies, local businesses and social housing providers to identify and improve the area by way of regular litter picking and initiating and maintaining, with the owner’s permission, gardening activities on small undeveloped, uncared for areas of land.

Otterford Parish Litter Pick aims to remove as much litter (and fly-tipped items) as possible from the roads and lanes in the parish - which is located in the beautiful Blackdown Hills AONB on the Somerset/Devon border. We now hold three Litter Picks annually - in March, July and November. After sorting,as much litter as possible is recycled: to date we have recycled 7,446 drinks cans, 6,041 plastic bottles, 1,216 glass bottles/jars, and lots of miscellaneous metal. Since our 17th Pick in March 2020 we have also been recycling plastic food containers and lids, paper and cardboard, and aluminium foil. We are grateful to Whitbread Plc (from when they owned Costa Coffee) and Litteraction for donating equipment and clothing: to Somerset West & Taunton District Council (and their contractor idVerde) for providing litter sacks for each Pick and now collecting the rubbish afterwards; and to Somerset Waste Partnership for donating vests, gloves and sacks.

We wish to live in a clean tidy safe environment. if you want to make a difference you have to get up and do something about. Our group litter picks regularly and several do it while dog walking. Like minded group of people who enjoy living in a litter free community. Litter costs nature and the environment we continue to strive to fight against this needless blight.

We aim to keep Badock's Wood as clear of litter as possible so that it is a safe and welcoming place for the resident wildlife and for visitors.

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.

I am the sole member of this group so far and would like to recruit other like-minded, local litter-killers. I've armed myself with a litter-picker-upper stick, bought online for a tenner, and I use recycled, plastic, supermarket bags for the collections. I walk around my village on litter-spotting missions every now and then with my fiance and our baby daughter. Good exercise and the lanes look much nicer. 'Hotspots' for litter are the bus shelter and the playing fields. Great feeling of satisfaction too. My aim is to keep our beautiful village 100% litter-free.

Chailey Litter PIckers have now been active for over a year, having formed in April 2016. We meet as a group monthly, to pick as wide an area as we can in one go. Group members also pick around their own area between group events. Some equipment is always available for group events and I can help people to purchase their own equipment if they would like to do so - gloves, grabbers, bag hoops. We will happily also travel to pick in other areas to help out on group events or to pick in areas where a particular need has been brought to our attention.

We conduct two litter picks a year and have done so since may 1997. Usually in May and October on a Saturday morning.

Formed by residents of Stanton Harcourt and Sutton with support from the parish council, we litter pick on the second Saturday or each month (to coincide with the Village Market) with an annual event encouraging widespread participation in March.