A WALTON based litter picking group did their bit over the weekend by clearing up rubbish around the seaside town.
The Walton Wallys are an over 300-strong group of voluntary litter pickers who meet up regularly to keep the town clean.
The group formed after lockdown in 2021 when Rachel Barford noticed the amount of litter that had built up around the town.
Wallys hold litter picks fortnightly at various locations around Walton, from the northern Naze where they do beach and foreshore cleans, to more urban picks around the parks and streets near the Triangle - and everywhere in between.
Rachel said: "We usually have a dozen or more volunteers attending, and find it an enjoyable, social activity as well as getting fresh air and improving our environment.
Their most recent litter pick saw nine volunteers collect five large bags of litter, one large bag of cans, glass and plastic bottles which were sent for recycling, two old tyres and some rubbish dumped by a bottle bank.
Rachel said: "This is fairly typical of one of our litter picks - although often we also collect washed-up plastics from the beach too.
"We actually managed to just about avoid the rain on Monday, although the strong wind from Storm Debi was quite intent on blowing away our bags."
The litter picking group is always looking for more members.
Rachel said: "We are a friendly group who welcome all helpers. We don’t expect anyone to commit themselves to every event, as we know this is impossible.
"Litter picks are organised on different days of the week and at different times, to try and suit different people’s commitments.
"We are supported by Tendring District Council, who promptly remove all the rubbish we collect, as well as various local organisations who have sponsored our equipment, including Parker’s Garden Centre.
"We have also won a Pride of Tendring Award earlier this year in recognition of our hard work."
Their next litter pick is on November 27 at 10am when volunteers will gather at the corner of Hall Lane and Naze Park Road, where they will be cleaning Foundry Quay and the nearby streets.
For more information and to get involved visit the Walton Wally's Facebook Group.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel