Volunteer litter pickers who help to ‘Keep Bitterne Tidy’ have announced they’ve reached their 60th event. Here’s the formula for their success.
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The Bitterne Litter Team meets every three weeks for just one hour to target a litter hotspot.
The team’s first litter pick was in April 2016, with just two volunteers. It now regularly attracts between 25-30 volunteers aged anywhere from 3 years old up to 87!
“It’s a pretty diverse group,” said organiser David Eddy.
“We really welcome families coming along... kids get a lot out of it.”
Volunteers at a March litter pick
On reaching the 60th event, David said he was “really proud of the group”.
“We’ve become kind of a template... we’re very successful. I think probably the most successful group in Southampton.”
He put part of the secret of their success down to only meeting for one hour each session.
“Anything longer than that is too onerous. People are busy. They have their own things to do. You can do a remarkable amount in one hour.
“But also not doing it weekly, or two-weekly: that’s too frequent. And monthly – the litter gets a bit too heavy.
“So three weeks seems to work.”
If you fancy pitching in, the next Bitterne litter pick is on Sunday, October 27 from 10am – as ever for just one hour.
Meet in the Angel Crescent car park near Lloyds Bank to clear that and adjacent areas, bringing gloves, sensible shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. The rest of the kit will be supplied.
To find out more email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The team’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/BitterneLitterTeam/