Today’s Advent Calendar window opens to say thank you to Wellie Wombles, the litter picking group from Wellingborough Eco Group, started on Facebook by Freddie Harris in February 2021, as a Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire group of Northants Litter Wombles, who including our Wombles and group picks have picked 50,000 bags so far! Both groups have been set up to encourage people to litter pick. Here’s Freddie talking about Wellie Wombles:
Wellie Wombles are individual litter pickers who, like the TV Characters, go Wombling free tidying up after the everyday people. We do suggest that Wombles start near where you live but can litter pick whenever they want to, and pretty much wherever they want to. As a group we simply offer help, supplies and guidance, plus give litter pickers the chance to share photos with each other of what has been picked on the Wellie Wombles Facebook group.
Wellie Wombles regularly litter pick 100+ bags a month just in Wellingborough! Maybe you have seen a Wellie Womble or two tidying up your local area, or have seen one of those red bags at the side of the road? Wellie Wombles also join in the Wellingborough Eco Group ‘Two Hour Tidy Up’ every month, tidying up local parks and public spaces.
Plus Freddie is busy working behind the scenes and has had some great success stories, including engaging with local schools and young people on the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, by setting up local neighbourhood hubs where people can borrow our litter pickers and hoops; and with local business, to get them to take up litter picking. He is currently engaging with supporters over the festive period to see if they would like to do some picking too.
To help you, we are at ECO HUB, Glamis Hall every Tuesday afternoon 2-6 for Tuesday Tidy Ups, plus we’ve teamed up with Wellingborough Library Monday to Saturday and with many other community partners; to loan litter pickers, hi-vis and hoops, and to give away bags. We call these partners Hubs, here is a map of where they are:
Equipment and bags are to be collected from one of the above locations, equipment is to be returned on the same day; and bags left for North Northants Council by a public highway or at Glamis Hall on Tuesdays for collection. To get bags collected, simply report them on our website. You can also purchase a variety of pickers and hoops from us at our Tuesday Tidy Ups.
Come to Tuesday Tidy Ups this afternoon at ECO HUB, Glamis Hall from 2:00 until 6:00pm to meet Freddie and other Wellie Wombles for a tidy up or just a cup of tea and a chat. Find out more about Wellie Wombles on our webpage or join the Wellie Wombles Facebook group.