The litter around West Oxford Community Centre has been quite heavy in the past, so we try to get out there a couple of times a year for a clean up. With the whizz-bang of fireworks all around we set off for our autumn session. Despite some Halloween detritus, and some unusual finds (a French dictionary, burglar alarms, mini-bedspread, pants), we were pleasantly surprised by the state of the litter. We collected far less than usual - good job West Oxford!

Three Goodgymers braved the hot weather to help West Oxford Fun Day pack down tables, chairs and gazebos. I never realised before how many different types of gazebo there are! Once everything was stacked up in one place the real challenge began - we had to pack it all into a limited number of "cages" on wheels. It was a mental and physical test to make everything fit and to lift it all in. The cages could then be wheeled into their storage container ready to do it all again next year.

I forgot to take any "before" photos, but got some of the almost empty field to show what a good job we did!

Welcome to Natasha who joined us for the first time!

We usually try to get to West Oxford for a litter pick early in the year, and despite the ongoing challenges of accessing the Botley Road, we headed there last night for a clean up.

We split into 3 groups and allowed ourselves an hour to blitz the trash. Given the cold weather we found a surprising amount of discarded clothing (wouldn't you notice that you'd left your coat on the cemetery gate?!), as well as a bags full of the usual suspects (cans, bottles), and more unusual items (a whole block of cheese, part of a car bumper, MANY Christmas trees, a French dictionary).

All in all, a good amount of rubbish got picked and bagged, leaving the area looking a little more loved.

Welcome to GoodGym James!

Last night we went WEST out of our normal East Oxford/Marston stamping ground. We know there are some litter hot spots on and around the Botley Road, and the challenge is to time our litter picks there when the undergrowth is not too dense but the river isn't in flood.

Our clean up crew divided into 2 teams with one heading towards the grot spots along the river, and the other heading to Oatlands Recreation Ground. Some exceptional litter finds were uncovered, from items of clothing to car registration plates, a fire extinguisher, cuddly emoji star, an Unidentified Netty Object (is it a hammock? Is it a fishing net?), but no papier maché spear this time.

Snacks were had to celebrate Bethan's 21st-and-a-bit birthday, and then we scattered into the night feeling just a little bit smug and virtuous for our clean up efforts.

Lovely to have a GG tourist join us from Southampton tonight. Good to meet you Ellie!

Last night we dodged floods and ice to head west for a Botley Road litter pick.

There are several trash hot spots around the area, so we try to do clean ups a few times a year along the Botley Road and into the Industrial Estate. Sure enough, all the usual areas were mucky and we could have ticked off almost all the Litter Bingo Card in the first few minutes. Coffee cups, fast food containers, snack wrappers, bottles, cans....all the litter pick fan favourites were found.

Less predictable were the homemade spear found in the supermarket car park (fortunately a tin foil blade!) and the negative pregnancy test; but if we weren't taken aback by something would it even be a GoodGym litter pick?!

Last night we started 2022 as we mean to go on, helping the food bank and litter picking some of the city grot spots!

Heading West for the first time in a few months we planned to tackle the Osney Mead/Botley Road litter. Although we don't get out that way regularly we're still familiar with some of the favourite dumping grounds: around any park bench (even if there's a bin right next to it), car parks, and bushy hedge are surefire litter gold mines. Our 3 teams set off in different directions - forming a pincer movement from each end of the Osney Mead Industrial Estate, with the 3rd group cleaning up the known dumping ground in the small park next to the bridge. Sure enough, we were soon laden with gin bottles (some fancy artisan gin drinkers in Oxford green spaces), clothing, cans, takeaway containers, newspapers (old skool!), the ever-present masks, even a pair of steel toe-cap boots and a trolley!

An hour of litter picking in freezing temperatures yielded over 20 sacks of trash. We came away thinking that it's high time the UK stole Rwanda's system of Umuganda: "Umuganda is a national holiday in Rwanda taking place on the last Saturday of every month for a morning of mandatory nationwide community work. Participation in umuganda is required by law, and has resulted in notable improvement in the cleanliness of Rwanda."

Welcome to GoodGym Chris!