Category: Litter Picking

Despite medical issues and poor weather, members of the litter picking group still managed to clear 32 bags of rubbish from our countryside, paths and parks during January and for that I thank them.

It can actually be quite addictive. Some members set themselves a time limit of perhaps half an hour or so but when that time is up they see another piece of litter which just has to be picked up, then another, and another……  and before long they’ve been out much longer than anticipated. Others set themselves a goal of clearing a particular area whilst some take their litter picking stick and plastic bag (and dog!) with them when going out for a gentle walk thus killing two birds with one stone. Any of them with a Fitbit are certainly getting their steps in!

Should anyone wish to join the group or require further details please contact me as per the group information at the end of the newsletter.

Val (Gant)

Obviously with Christmas and the poor weather it has been a slow month for litter picking. However, during an afternoon walk one member collected a supermarket basket, filled it with empty beer cans (he claims not to be responsible for emptying the cans and leaving them as litter!) and then left it at a council litter bin. He then climbed up the pit tip on the Ranges and picked up a metal chair which he deposited at another local litter bin. That’s commitment for you!

However, if anyone wishes to join the litter picking group please contact me as per the litter picking group contact details – and please do not feel that in joining the group you have to collect bulky or heavy items. Anything that can be picked up using a litter picking stick will suffice.

Val Gant

Some good news to report – firstly with regard to the missing litter bins which I mentioned in last month’s newsletter. Some of them have now been replaced.

The second piece of good news is that, for over a year now, we have been campaigning for a litter bin to be sited in the last layby on the left going down the bypass towards Bulwell and at last a nice new shiny litter bin has been positioned there. Hurray! Its an area that gathers a lot of litter so let’s hope that people use the new bin. I know that litter pickers will make good use of it.

Finally may I wish all Hucknall & District u3a members a very happy Christmas and a healthy and happy 2024.

Val Gant

Despite the awful weather in October members of the litter picking group still managed to collect 26 bags of rubbish – but do you know what they do with it? Well, normally they leave the rubbish all correctly bagged up by the side of the council litter bins so that the bin collectors can take it when they empty the bins.

However, the council litter bins are gradually disappearing and despite messages to the council by various litter pickers no response has been forthcoming. We’re quite sure they’re not being stolen for scrap metal otherwise the contents of the bins and the bags of rubbish at the side of them would be left behind which they’re not, so if any of you u3a amateur detectives out there can shed any light on ‘The Case of the Disappearing Litter Bins’ I would be very grateful if you would let me know!

Val Gant

Once again members of the group were out and about collecting litter from our area and in total gathered 27 bags of it in September, all of which was disposed of in the correct manner.

On 18^th September an informal meeting of the group was held in Byron’s Rest on Baker Street and one topic agreed upon was that we should have a group litter pick. Therefore if anyone in Hucknall & District u3a knows of an area that needs our attention please feel free to contact me as per the contact form below and we will be happy to litter pick it for you.