Tidy Our Town: ‘We don’t make a big thing of the Great British Spring Clean as we do it all the time’

Litter picking is a hot topic of conversation at the moment, with the national Great British Spring Clean set to take place from March 15 to 31.

In the second instalment of her interview with the Chronicle & Echo for the Tidy Our Town campaign, Northants Litter Wombles founder Nicola Elliott shared the effort put in at this time of year is something they do all year round.

Though the group stands in support of people’s endeavours to do more to combat the issue throughout March, Nicola says they will not be doing anything in particular to mark the occasion as they already “do it all the time”.

With the recent launch of the Tidy Our Town campaign in collaboration with this newspaper, Nicola was asked what message she wanted to send to readers.

“We all know litter and fly tipping looks awful, and no one wants to live in an area that looks neglected and uncared for,” she said.

The founder shared the “broken glass syndrome”, which reflects that litter breeds more litter and encourages people to carry on neglecting an area.

Nicola said: “I’m really pleased at the number of people who are passionate like me. That’s what it’s all about. People adopt local streets and parks and go to group picks.”

There are a number of success stories that have come out of the Northants Litter Wombles, including a group pick in Kingsley that Nicola helped to establish and has now taken a step back from as they get on with it themselves.

“It’s tricky sometimes,” said Nicola. “We get lots of messages that ask for specific streets to be cleared. We offer support in starting group picks but we’re not a free service and issues should be reported to the council.”

What does the founder want to see moving forward?

Nicola described bins as a “hot issue” at the moment, as the Litter Wombles’ pop-up bin experiment has identified where more are needed.

With purple bags hung in areas where they can be used as bins, it has proved that people will use them if they are there.

The founder would also like to see more anti-littering messaging displayed on electronic road signs, in the hope that it will make people “think twice”.

“I don’t want to be litter picking for the next however many years of my life,” said Nicola. “I hope things will get better.”

Nicola wanted to share how easy it is for members of the public to get involved with the Litter Wombles, which begins with joining the Facebook group and accessing the beginner information – including where to purchase litter pickers and bag hoops.

“It’s very straightforward,” she said. “Wear sturdy shoes, put gloves on, and don’t pick up any broken glass or drug paraphernalia. We’re really flexible and social, and the purple hi-vis jackets differentiate us from workers.”

The group has equipment that people can borrow if they are not in a position to purchase it, and Nicola encourages anyone interested to come to a group pick, chat to others and see if they enjoy it.

Nicola said: “It brings together like-minded people who care about the environment.”

To get involved in the campaign, email [email protected].

To join the Northants Litter Wombles in their important work, visit the Facebook group here.