THE NOMADIC LITTER PICKERS successfully organised their second community litter-pick on the towpath of Little Venice and Westbourne Park.
This event on Sunday 15th brought together a group of travelling boat dwellers, united in their efforts to clean up their local environment.
Expand their efforts
Their first event in Tottenham last month went well and they decided to expand their efforts. The event saw volunteers come together, armed with gloves, bags, and a shared commitment to making a positive impact, with Alain Gough-Olaya, a spokesperson for the group explaning:
"As travelling boat dwellers, we feel a strong connection to the waterways and care about them and surrounding areas."
Jack Rocket who came to help litter pick on the day commented:
“Litter picking may seem like an unpleasant task but when there’s a group of you, the camaraderie makes it enjoyable and seeing an immediate improvement is rewarding.”
31 bags of rubbish
The litter pickers filled 31 rubbish bags with litter, including cans, glass and plastic bottles, wrappers, and other debris discarded along the Paddington arm. The group continues to plan and organise clean-up efforts in the areas through which they travel.
Marcus Trower, Deputy Chair of the National Bargee Travellers Association, explained:
“We are a nomadic community, so we travel from place to place. Instead of having one fixed home, our homes are the places we travel through.
“Nomadic Litterpickers is an excellent example of the proactive initiatives of the boating community, which are wonderful to witness, especially now the Canal & River Trust is contemplating a law change that could jeopardise our travelling community. This is an example of why the travelling boat dweller community is worth defending."