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Bristol Bears swap rugby balls for litter pickers in Big Tidy mission
“Right, let’s herd the Bears up!” someone shouts.
And just like that, they’re off.
Dozens of Bristol Bears players make their way around Horfield Common, sporting hi-vis jackets, and clutching bin bags and litter pickers.
is needed now More than ever
The event is part of a citywide campaign to clean up Bristol’s streets. On a wintery afternoon, the Bristol Bears have joined 20 children from Horfield Primary School for the clean-up.
Horfield primary school children join Bristol Bears players and coaches for an afternoon of litter picking
The Bears have set themselves a target of four litter picks this year. That’s one per quarter, involving 100 attendees and 200 bags of waste.
But they are going to have to work fast and efficiently if they are going to meet that target. Horfield Common is surprisingly clean, and the Bears are struggling to find bounties of waste among the greenery.
“Next time we’ll choose somewhere with a bit more rubbish,” says one of the players.
The children on the other hand are enraptured, and run riot around Horfield common, their keen eyes spotting even the tiniest morsel of waste.
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Launched in October 2019, the Big Tidy aims to “bring the sparkle back to the city” by working hand-in-hand with residents and Bristol Waste crews.
The team is made up of Bristol City Council housing officers, street cleansers, parks officers, graffiti removal experts and Bristol Waste community engagement officers.
The council hopes that by engaging businesses and children in litter picking, they will develop a sense of pride in their area, discover new ways to take part in their communities and feel good about cleaning up Bristol.
While Horfield Common may not be the most suitable location for litter picking, the Big Tidy campaign has been cleaning up areas across Bristol, and has started to generate a buzz on social media for the before and after shots.
https://twitter.com/hulme_philippa/status/1572240921386786816
The crew have reportedly cleaned more than 250 streets this year, removed almost 1,500 graffiti tags and cleared 100 fly tips across Bristol.
The project has now visited 34 out of 35 wards in Bristol.
Cabinet member Kye Dudd was also at the litter pick, and has been involved in the Big Tidy campaign.
“Litter is a big problem in Bristol, and if it was just left to the council, we couldn’t solve it alone, so we need to work with partners in the city, community groups and businesses,” he tells Bristol24/7.
“Today we’ve got one of the most high profile organisations in the city, Bristol Bears, coming down to highlight the issue and say we’re part of Bristol, we’re part of the community, so it’s our problem as well.
“The Big Tidy is like the SAS of the waste world.”
All photos: Mia Vines Booth
Read next:
- ‘Limiting our food waste is more important than it’s ever been’
- Calls for community action on Kingswood flytipping
- A community-led solution to a rubbish problem
- An appreciation for Bristol’s bins
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