I have been walking past the local SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System) on recent walks to get to my 10,000 steps a day it and realised they were covered in rubbish and would be a great place for a litter pick. The area is at the end of a road in the windy weather household bins have been knocked over and rubbish/recycling blown down into and around the SuDS.

So I set off down the wagon way on my lunch break and quickly managed to fill a bag with bulky rubbish like cans, plastic and cardboard. It was frustrating that I only managed to do litter pick at most a quarter of the area before the bag was over flowing and heavy. But it was nice to see the dent I had made and I will be back to continue.

While precariously carrying the stuffed bag back along the wagon way to put in my bin a guy from the local council who was cutting an tree said I could put the rubbish bag on his flatbed van and even offered me another bin big for next time!

I will be back!

A short walk from my home along the side of Paddy Freeman Park brings me to a small car park. Judging by the amount of litter there, it looks like people have a picnic in their cars and throw the litter out of the car door when they’re done. That’s despite there being not just one but two large bins only, counts, 18 steps from one end of the car park to the other! Oh well! At least there’s always something to keep us GoodGymers busy!

Walking around Hetton Lyons Country Park tonight reminded me of taking virtually exactly the same photograph for last January’s litter pick, also in the dark with a torch. The not so good people of Hetton had managed to deposit a reasonable amount of litter in the local area over the last twelve months, much of which I managed to pick up. I’ll probably be back at the same time in the same place next year to do the same!

There was a bit of extra incentive today too as there will be a junior parkrun starting the park in the near future and the event director is someone I know very well!

Day 14 of the challenge! I am a neutral party in the Tyne and Wear Derby but the Stadium of Light lived up to the not so flattering Newcastle fans’ nickname for it (if you know, you know)…. A lot of litter to be had, so I filled a bag and deposited it in the nearby bin.

Feels great to be proactive and to do something to improve my local area.

Over to you, Richard!

Litter pick around the park.

Walk, ferry, walk, pub, walk, beach, litter picker, plastic, trash, sand spick n span. Done!