26 bags, 7 trolleys cleaned up.

A message below from John Knowles regarding last Saturday's Rivercare clean up, also a Grantham Journal photographer met us on the day and a report can be seen here.
Once known I will keep you informed of the next Rivercare meet.

On Saturday 18 volunteers set about cleaning up the stretch of the River Witham between Bridge End Road and Wyndham Park. Due to the inclement weather conditions during December it had been a number of weeks since we last went out and regretably large amounts of rubbish had accumulated in the river and along the banks. It is sad to think that every item had been deposited by someone!

However Rivercare team members always rise to a challenge and set about the task with tremendous determination. We were pleased to welcome a new recruit in the form of Nicky who had come across from Barston to join us. Our fame is spreading !

There followed two hours of hard labour (and we do this voluntarily - must be mad!) resulting in a few aches and pains but producing a magnificent result. By midday our adopted stretch of river was back to the way we like to see it. We had removed no less than 26 bags of rubbish (mainly cans and bottles), 7 shopping trolleys (4 Sainsbury 3 Asda), a radio, a duvet (that took some shifting), 2 footballs and sundry other bits and pieces.

Earlier in the week I had seen the trolleys and reported them to respective store management. I said that if they could send one of their staff down to the river then we would be prepared to retrieve them and pass them over for return to the store. Regretably neither Sainsbury's nor Asda considered it important enough to send someone and the trolleys were loaded into the Council wagon. Incidentally I must express appreciation to Pat and Dave of South Kesteven District Council for their continued support.

I hope you all saw the brilliant cartoon in the Journal on Friday. It was drawn by Terry Selbourne and so good is it that I have bought the original for all to see. I am sure there are one or two faces that I recognise. Don't forget to buy a Gratham Journal this Friday as there may be a report and photograph of us in there.

Many thanks to all of you who worked so hard on Saturday and I look forward to catching up with you again soon.

John Knowles
Rivercare Leader