A GROUP of litter picking volunteers were 'disheartened' when they found more fly-tipping at Hartlebury Common days after being awarded for their clean-up efforts.
The Hartlebury Common Lower heathland project is in its fourth year and volunteers from The Pickup Artists and the Hartlebury Local group have been removing thousands of litter-filled bags and fly-tipped waste.
The Pickup Artists were rewarded for their efforts on Friday (September 23), receiving a commendation award at the BBC Hereford & Worcester’s Make A Difference Awards.
The clean-up has so far taken over 500 volunteer hours and has been supported by £26,000 worth of funding and team support from Worcestershire County Council.
The Worcestershire County Council Greenspace Team spent over 370 hours clearing the overgrowth so that the volunteers could reach the fly-tipped rubbish and litter.
In October 2018, the group of litter picking volunteers the Pickup Artists arranged to pick up the litter around Hartlebury Common’s nature reserve with Worcestershire County Council’s Greenspace Team and the Hartlebury Common Local Group (HCLG).
But during a maintenance litter pick on Monday (September 26), volunteers saw a skip full of fly-tipped waste return to the land.
Waste included garden fencing, concrete posts, BBQs, chairs, sunbeds, fridges and lots more household waste.
The volunteers were unable to collect all the waste as they ran out of room after filling up the trailer for the tip.
Hartlebury Common is one of the few examples of lower heath land that remains in the country, so volunteers feel it's important to ensure the area of concern is cleared up to help nature repair itself.
This is why the Hartlebury Lower Heathland project volunteers received a make a difference commendation award.
Karen Blanchfield, Litter Heroes ambassador for Keep Britain Tidy, said: "The project is ongoing, when we return to the site and see more fly-tipped waste it is disheartening, however all the volunteers just get on with it and clean up in order to maintain it.
"What makes me proud is that ten passionate volunteers did not take notice today they carried on clearing away the new fly-tipped waste and litter from the site.
"Thank you to all our amazing volunteers who turn up to carry on fighting the waste.
"The project is growing and we are moving on to the sandy lane industrial estate area maintenance, we will see support from Wychavon's community & environment protection team helping volunteers to improve the community areas around the nature reserve boundaries.
"We are calling for more volunteer engagement on the following dates 10:30 -12:00 31st October, 28th November and 19th December. Meeting on sandy lane industrial estate at Brian Norton and Sons auto garage".
Hartlebury Common has 216 acres of heathland that is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. SSSIs are those areas of land and water that best represent our natural heritage in terms of their flora, fauna, geology, geomorphology, and mixture of natural features.
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