Reading marked the fourth location on our UK road trip with DEFRA and DXC. 13 volunteers arrived at Kingswood Meadows in the pouring rain to give their time to litter pick.
We were joined by the lovely Hannah, who we have been raising money for all week. Her laughter was infectious and it absolutely inspired us to push on despite the mud, rain, and flooding. All of this effort is to raise awareness about litter and plastic pollution across the country but more importantly we are raising money to help the wonderful Hannah purchase an Innowalk. This piece of equipment will allow her to walk and move whilst being fully supported. You can learn more about her amazing story, and how you can donate here. Seeing her at our clean, just made all the hard work completely worth it, and we highly encourage you to check out her JustGiving page.
Walking along the Thames Path, you couldn’t help but notice how high the river was. The fast currents meant there was lots of litter washing up along the flooded banks.
Volunteers pulled all sorts from the water’s edge, including a portable toilet! There were several unusual items found, including:
- Sofa cushions
- A deliveroo bag
- A bicycle
- A portable toilet
- 2 tents
- A chair
- A tub of lasagne
- A wiper blade
- A wooden planter
The rain and flooded ground made it so we had to tread carefully across the waterlogged park. Despite these conditions the groups still managed to collect the 123.56kg of rubbish! A huge achievement for only a dozen people.
Volunteers competed to collect the strangest item, and the heaviest bag. The winners received our reusable, insulated water bottles. Every single person involved though, was incredible. Their effort and positivity, despite the rain, made the event so much fun!
We have one clean left as part of our road trip, ending the week in Bristol. So far we have collected 669.68 kilos of litter this week, a staggering amount of rubbish! We can’t wait to see how much we will collect on the last leg of our journey.
