Tidy Our Town: Let’s take a look at the amazing volunteer work happening in the north of the county
Let’s take a look at the amazing work being done by dedicated volunteers to tackle the blight of littering and fly tipping in the north of the county.
Though the Tidy Our Town campaign is focused on what is being done in Northampton, the work of the Northants Litter Wombles spans the entire county – and this also deserves to be highlighted.
Wellie Wombles will celebrate four years this month, and more than 10,000 bags of litter have been collected by more than 1,300 members.
Freddie Harris, who founded Wellie Wombles alongside his wife Georgina in February 2021, spoke to this newspaper about the hard work going on in North Northamptonshire.
It was during the pandemic when the pair started using their daily mile of exercise to tackle the litter they saw on the floor and in hedges.
“We thought we couldn’t possibly be the only people thinking this about the litter,” said Freddie, who took to Facebook and was inundated with people interested in getting involved.
After fundraising themselves, as well as receiving support from the local council, Freddie and Georgina were able to support the community with pickers, hoops and rubbish bags.
Wellie Wombles remain an independent part of fellow litter picking group Wellingborough Eco. They collaborate on a big pick at the end of each month, as well as organising their own in the run up.
“It’s a wonderful community and a lot of people have become friends,” said Freddie. “It’s a great feeling to have these people around us.”
Wellie Wombles run a C.L.E.A.N education programme like the Northants Litter Wombles, and they addressed 1,650 children in 2024 alone. The 30-minute presentation enables children to see the degradation time for different litter and the impact this has on wildlife.
They then like to take the pupils out on litter picks, sharing the important message of ‘reuse, recycle, repair’ rather than the throwaway society they are growing up in.
The hope for 2025 is to also visit adult groups to start these important discussions, and revisit schools they have not seen in a couple of years.
Looking to the rest of this year, Freddie would like to see greater action from North Northamptonshire Council – with more people on the ground tackling the volume of litter and fly tips.
If you would like to get involved in the Tidy Our Town campaign, established in collaboration with the Northants Litter Wombles, email [email protected].