I was excited to return to London from leafy north Bedfordshire in 2010, but depressed by the amount of rubbish everywhere. To make myself feel better I started picking it up. 

I was concerned that the cool people of Southfield ward would think I was weird, so did this when I thought no one was looking, usually in the dead of night. It wasn’t until 2020 that I became aware of LAGER Can, and was delighted to realise that the 375 subscribers to its Facebook group didn’t like litter either, and were willing to do something about it! Founder Keith Freegard asked me to run the group, and I enthusiastically agreed – it was great to be ‘out’ as a litter picker! 

Since 2020 LAGER Can’s membership has grown to more than 2,500, we’ve removed a vast amount of rubbish from the borough’s open spaces, formed productive relationships with partners and – most importantly – friendships have been made between people who share a passion for a cleaner, greener environment.

Come and join us!

I have always been a lurking litter picker, mainly in the form of ‘plogging’ on early morning runs through local parks, collecting the odd bottle or can and carrying it to the nearest bin, then graduating to disposable gloves and a carrier bag.

Things really took off around April 2020 during the first lockdown.  I was shocked at the amount of extra litter in the parks – mainly because people could only meet outdoors. I met Ranger Carl Smith in Pitshanger and he gave me a litter picker plus a roll of Ealing Council bags.  It felt very grown up!  The other thing that Carl did was to tell me about LAGER Can and Cathy – I contacted her and life has not been the same since.I travel regular to Melbourne where my daughter lives and, through LAGER Can, I met an amazing woman who runs a litter picking group there, I try to join in at least one of their events on my visits. I can honestly say that litter picking has brought me so many new like-minded friends both locally and internationally. Who would have thought it?!

During Covid lockdowns, when all we could do was take walks outside, I became increasingly frustrated at the amount of litter and fly-tipping prevalent in Southall.

Wondering what could be done about it, I stumbled across the LAGER Can Facebook page and promptly joined it and picked up my litter picker and the iconic blue bags.

I have been in awe of the dedication and commitment of the LAGER Can volunteers over the years, helping to make Ealing a cleaner and more pleasant place to live. I would describe myself as a time-poor litter picker: Littering picking as and when I can around work and other commitments.  When the opening for a Treasurer came up I jumped at the chance, so I could give something back to the organisation doing what I do best, working with numbers!

I joined LAGER Can in 2021 when between jobs and haven’t looked back! Coming from a farming family, it’s a good excuse to get outdoors with my wellies on as well as a way to give back to the local area and environment. Despite no longer living in Ealing I continue to be involved as both a Trustee and Events Coordinator – largely remotely though I do like to get back to Ealing when I can to support group events

Following my retirement in December 2018, I formed WILP (Warner Independent Litter Pickers), and quickly doubled its membership base to two, with the addition of my very good friend Shaun. 

We were often caught slouching about in Walpole and Lammas Parks, with one litter picker and a couple of small plastic bags to our name! Professional we were not – we needed to think bigger, and it was at this stage that things took a strange turn in the form of a small lady with a dog. We were headhunted by Cathy and the rest, as they say, is history. Many events and even more blue bags later, we still slouch about in the parks, but have now become part of a much larger and well-organised team of like-minded friends.

When I was growing up in Australia there was a very successful 10-year anti-litter campaign, ‘Do the Right Thing’ with very catchy television and radio advertisements. This combined with parents’ reinforcing the “Do the Right Thing’ message meant that seeing litter was a rarity. 

Moving to Norwood Green in Southall I was horrified by the amount of litter that was everywhere, I think the area that I was most dismayed by was the litter in and by the Grand Union Canal. So, I started picking it up on my morning run. I came across LAGER Can by chance and joined one of their events that was being held by Three Bridges and was hooked. It was a so much more efficient way to litter pick with the correct equipment and so much more fun doing it with others.

Meeting Cathy and other local members made me want to get more involved with the local community. So, I started litter picking with other LAGER Canners at a local school. I think the sheer joy you see on children’s faces when they have successfully picked up litter is great to experience. I now regularly litter pick with several primary schools. The before and after comparison of a litter strewn area is also very satisfying. I have also made a whole new group of like-minded friends. 

Having the role of Outreach Officer has put me in contact with a variety of groups and businesses who want to make a difference in keeping their local area litter free. I really enjoy litter picking with them and it is so positive that people are willing to give up time to do this. If you want to find out more, please visit our Outreach page.

Volunteering has been part of my life since I was 18, supporting a wide range of organisations in leadership, governance and operational roles. I am LAGER Can’s Marketing & PR Officer, as I love sharing the stories of the incredible volunteers who are making Ealing cleaner and greener. I believe that the smallest actions can inspire the biggest changes, and that recognising people for what they do encourages others to get involved too. Whether I’m writing a press release, organising an event to celebrate local volunteers or helping behind the scenes, I believe that communities thrive when people feel connected, appreciated and empowered to make a difference. I’m proud to play a small part in helping LAGER Can be recognised as the everyday legends who make Ealing a better place for everyone.

I grew up in the London suburbs in a family of musicians. Bucking that trend, I studied Biological Sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and worked for eighteen years in laboratory research.

More recently, I worked in research funding, before a move back to the academic environment. I currently work part time at the Institute for Child Health, UCL curating a database of information on inherited neurodegenerative diseases. In my spare time, I volunteer with Ealing Wildlife Group, and play violin with Ealing Symphony Orchestra.

I joined LAGER Can out of a desire to tackle the blight of litter in the area. As well as litter picking, I enjoy helping out with LAGER Can’s administration since 2023, producing the weekly newsletter and updating the website.

I’ve lived in different parts of Ealing for almost 30 years and to be honest litter wasn’t something I really noted terribly until the children came along and we started using parks more. 

Ealing is known for its community events and festivals and many areas are very neighbourhood-oriented, which is one of things I’ve always loved about it. Joining LAGER Can happened after we got a dog in 2020 and started noticing broken bottles and metal bottle tops littering the parks. 

During COVID I also noticed a few people collecting litter and decided to start doing the same on my dog walks – that’s when I met Cathy and we chatted one day about what we could do to engage more young people. The idea for doing litter picking for DofE was actually my daughter Hana’s suggestion because her group couldn’t find anywhere to volunteer during COVID and it just took off from there once word spread. We went from one school to the whole borough very quickly. I’ve now dealt with hundreds of young people and their parents in the last six years as I do the assessments for DofE volunteers across the UK. If you are interested in finding out more, visit our page.