The Parish Council is pleased to announce that it intends to work closely with the newly launched Winwick Litter Network.
This is a Community-run resource for reporting and volunteering to clean up litter problems in local neighbourhoods across Winwick Parish. A similar group is already in operation in Croft and there are several more within Warrington.
If you’ve spotted a litter problem; then simply post on the Winwick Litter Network Facebook group with as much information as you can. If you’ve cleaned up some litter, perhaps on your regular exercise route or within your favourite dog walking area, then you might want to report that. This in turn will hopefully lead to other local people becoming involved. There are already a number of regular litter-pickers who have “adopted” certain lanes. This initiative seeks to celebrate what they’ve been doing and widen the reach of volunteer activity. The Network’s ultimate aim is to have a much cleaner, greener Winwick with far less littering and fly-tipping impacting on our local environment.
Unfortunately, at this time due to Lockdown restrictions, the Network is unable to launch “organised” litter-picking. Accordingly, in the short term, activity will need to be contained to individual volunteer responses or 6 people or two households “exercising” together (while picking up litter). However, the Network’s Facebook Group will facilitate co-ordination of individual reporting and clean-up activity even during Lockdown. Once restrictions are lifted and better weather is with us, organised multi-volunteer litter-picking can be properly launched, where key hotspots such as Delph Lane near B&Q will be targeted. One successful pick has already taken place on Delph Lane, with others on Hermitage Green Lane and the Sankey Valley Trail.
Health and Safety will be paramount in everything connected with Winwick Litter Network. The ready availability of litter-picking equipment, safety gloves, hi-vis vests, etc. are all firmly on the Network’s agenda with a small initial order already received. Equally, the safety of volunteers undertaking litter-picking and the management – and potential re-cycling – of the diverse range of litter and debris collected will at all times need to be at the core of everything carried out by the Network.
A Volunteer Litter Picking Sheet, provided by Warrington Borough Council, sets out some key tips and health and safety risk assessment information for organised litter picks.
In its first week, or so, the Network already had around 30 local people who had expressed an interest in becoming involved. By the middle of March this number had grown to over 160 people, many of whom had joined the Network’s new Facebook group. This is a superb response.
The Parish Council hopes that the launch of the Network and the associated Facebook Group will help in focusing the spotlight on the growing issue of litter (and also fly-tipping) within Winwick and bring about even more interested people to complement those already active or keen to become involved. The activities of the Network will support the work of the Parish Council’s own Litter Picker Service and the wider waste services provided by Warrington Borough Council.
If you want to have a further look into the concept of Litter Networks please go to please go to https://litternetworks.org/about-us
The link to the Network’s new Facebook group is via its website at Winwick Litter Network https://litternetworks.org/network/winwicklitter
Network Members will be celebrating their achievements at an event due to be held on Thursday 24 June 2021 at 7.30pm at Winwick Community and Leisure Centre. Why not sign up?