As part of their work for the Great British Spring Clean 2025, members of the Wombles of Eden group, were out last weekend picking up litter from the laybys of the A66 Keswick bound and the area around the Rheged roundabout.
Nikki Brabant set up the Facebook group Wombling Free Eden in March, 2021 after noticing how littered the A66 was towards Scotch Corner.
She said: “On Saturday a group met at Rheged before setting off to clear the nearby roundabout and roadsides between there and the M6 junctions. 32 bin bags of litter were collected in two hours as well as a similar quantity of large debris items such as car parts, tents, sandbags and other transport management equipment.
“The volunteers were all very appreciative of the refreshments provided by Rheged which they enjoyed whilst discussing the litter picking in the sunshine.
“The group chose this location as it had been noticed that it was looking particularly scruffy and as a gateway to the Northern Lake District they felt it did not give visitors the right welcome. With the Lake District being both a national park and Unesco world heritage site, roadsides scattered with litter give the wrong impression and could lead others to think that it is OK to leave your rubbish behind.”
Wombling Free Eden were doing their bit in conjunction with the Great British Spring Clean, which is taking place until 6th April. Two groups were out at key locations in the area.
“Sunday saw members of Wombling Free Eden meeting with volunteers from Shap at the road that passes over the M6,” added Nikki. “Despite being litter picked for the Great Cumbrian Litter Pick almost a year ago 16, very full bin bags and other large items were collected in just over a couple of hours.”
Other members of Wombling Free Eden who could not make the group picks also did their own at various locations throughout the Eden Valley including laybys and lanes around Langwathby, Long Marton, Plumpton, Stainton and even Frenchfield sports complex.
Wombling Free Eden recently gained its 800th member. As well as providing encouragement to litter picking, it also records the amount of litter collected each year and this information is used when communicating with MPs, councils and other organisations. Between March, 2021 and December, 2023 the number of bags collected each year averaged about 480 bags but in 2024 the total was 580.
Nikki said: “It is not clear whether this was because there is more litter or, more reassuringly, more people out litter picking. The group believe this is also the tip of the iceberg. There are many people out litter picking that do not record their efforts on the group’s pages and there are also many places that are just too dangerous for people to go litter picking.
“Most of the litter is collected from roadsides and the group also try to spread awareness through school talks and community litter picks.”
Members of the group are also campaigning with councils and highways authorities to improve the provision of bins in roadside laybys which they believe will help prevent such quantities of litter.
Wombling Free Eden are involved in another group litter pick organised by Tony Pears in Penrith on 5th April. This will mark the end of the Great British Spring Clean and coincides with the Great Cumbrian Litter Pick. Nikki also invites new members to join their Facebook group.
Wombling Free Eden over the last four years have collected nearly 2,400 blue bin bags of rubbish from local roadsides as well as many other discarded items too big to put in a bin bag. The Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean 2025 calls on everyone to get involved in picking up litter to help keep communities clean and safe.
