Students out litter picking again

Last Wednesday (the 25th of February) myself and other students from the University of Surrey were once again out picking up litter in residential areas. Five bags of rubbish were collected by volunteers in Guildford Park Avenue.

What’s more, the University of Surrey Students Union (USSU) is making plans to organise a litter picking session of their own in the area between the main entrance to the university and the Tesco roundabout. Anyone who’s walked through the area will know that there is a serious ongoing problem with litter so it’s great that the USSU is taking the initiative to do something about it.

And for anyone who wants to organise their own litter picking session it’s surprisingly easy. The council can provide loans of equipment (including bags, gloves, litter pickers and hi-vis jackets) and collect the rubbish afterwards if you contact them (01483 50 50 50) so all you really need to do is find volunteers and set a date. And if you do decide to organise one, don’t forget to invite us – we’ll happily come along to help if we can!

Surrey students go litter picking

On the 13th of December a group of students from the University of Surrey went out in Guildford Park Avenue as part of a volunteer litter picking session aimed at making a contribution to the local community. The student volunteers ended up collecting five bin bags worth of rubbish during the session and are planning to make this a monthly exercise.

Student volunteers at the end of the session.

Student volunteers at the end of the session.

When I first set about organising this session I was incredibly encouraged by the large number of students who emailed me wanting to take part – although only a small number were able to go out this close to Christmas there are many more who are hoping to join in the January session.

When organising the session I was also lucky enough to receive help and advice from the university’s students union as well as the Do More and the People & Planet societies at the university who both promoted the session to their members and encouraged them to take part.

Of course, the ultimate goal will be for the organisation of these sessions to be taken over by the student union or a university society so that they become a regular occurrence.

But in the meantime I’m looking for suggestions of which area the next suggestion should focus on – anyone with ideas or suggestions should contact me (George Potter) using the details elsewhere on this website.