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Volunteer record for litter picking group

John Devine
BBC News, Peterborough
John Devine/BBC Margaret Faulkner has short grey hair with a pink tint. She has red lipstick and small gold earrings. She is wearing a high-vis orange tabard over a light pink V-neck top. She is carrying a litter grabber and the top of a rubbish bin is just behind her. Also in the background are some metal railings beside a roadway.John Devine/BBC
Margaret Faulkner, 78, said she got enormous satisfaction when clearing up mess

A city litter picking group is reporting a record number of volunteers to help tackle the problem of dumped waste.

Peterborough Litter Wombles Association said its membership had never been so high, with pickers passing 300 for the first time.

The group, which formed in 2021, said in the last two years it had collected about 10,000 bags of rubbish, plus many larger fly-tipped items.

The group's chairman, Harry Machin, said "all sorts of people from four-year-olds to pensioners approaching 80 love to litter pick".

John Devine/BBC Harry Machin has short grey hair swept across his forehead. He has dark glasses on and a light blue and dark blue hooped rugby style shirt on, with a white shirt underneath. Behind him are metal railings and a busy roadway, with a white lorry passing.John Devine/BBC
Harry Machin said the group had a great relationship with Peterborough City Council, which picks up the bags of collected waste

Mr Machin said he was thrilled to see record numbers coming together to clean up the city.

"It is not all retired people - we have a lot of working volunteers too," he said.

"There are lots of groups around Peterborough including PE4 Wombles and groups in the Ortons, Hamptons, Dogsthorpe and Bretton, all doing great work and very effective."

He said there was a social aspect to joining a litter pick too - and it meant people could meet others and stay fit, while getting the satisfaction from their area being tidier.

John Devine/BBC Samantha Dalton, 48, has brown/light blonde shoulder length hair parted in the middle of her head. She has dark glasses and a silver chain around her neck. She is wearing a dark floral sleeveless dress and has her hand on the rim of a public bin. Behind her are railings and roadways.John Devine/BBC
Samantha Dalton, 48, said she picked litter at weekends and did it mostly because she wanted to keep her dogs safe

Samantha Dolby, 48, has been with the Wombles since last April and has a full-time job.

"I maintain a Womble bin and the lamppost rubbish bags in my area, change them and gather them for collection," she said.

She collected "sweet wrappers, vapes, tinned drink cans, alcohol bottles, fag packets, all sorts really", she added.

"When I'm out and about, if I see any litter, I have to pick it up. I walk my dogs twice a day and always pick up something or other."

John Devine/BBC Margaret Faulkner carrying a litter grabber. A rubbish bin is beside her. Also in the background are some metal railings beside a roadway. There is a pile of full green bin bags beside the public bin.John Devine/BBC
Margaret Faulkner said her husband was even more dedicated to litter picking and it helped "keep her young"

Margaret Faulkner, 78, has volunteered since Peterborough Litter Wombles formed and said the public really appreciated what the group did.

"What starts out as a quick litter pick for an hour turns into three hours, because everybody wants to speak to us.

"Little children all seem to know me and say 'hello' - it really is lovely."

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