Even at short notice, a lovely group of volunteers turned out to do their part for the community - including some little helpers who wished to contribute to the effort too. The team of volunteers found mostly cigarettes, tin cans and plastic bottles in the town centre, from the Square and surrounding streets, with most litter collected from the alley and walkway near Tesco supermarket.
The group was pleased to see that the Petersfield Heath area offered up very little litter and was well kept which was a great testament to those who use and maintain the area. However, off the beaten track and hidden in the trees around the Heath we found tin cans, big plastic bottles, big plastic bags and food wrappers littered in the undergrowth. Non biodegradable confetti was found near the water birds and other wildlife, and there was evidence of a fire or a barbecue that had scorched the grass at the north side of the Heath.
It was a delight to be greeted with kindness by the general public, with five people approaching the group to share their gratitude that we were doing our bit for the community and raising awareness. Thanks also to Laura at Refill and Replenish, for helping with logistics and supporting our volunteers.
Items we found included cigarette butts, plastic sports bottles, tin cans, non biodegradeable confetti, string and tin ring pulls.
We were really pleased to have representatives from both Green and Liberal Democrat parties supporting this community initiative too.