Disposable barbecue and parasol found in litter blitz

A HUSKY and a dachshund were among participants in a village litter pick held on Saturday.

About 20 villagers took to the streets of Goring for the annual clean, as part of the Keep Britain Tidy scheme.

Volunteers gathered at the community centre in Station Road at 9.30am to collect hi-vis vests, bin bags and litter pickers, before dispersing among the village in the sunshine.

They were given a map of targeted streets, including Manor Road, Thames Road, Cleeve Road and Croft Road.

Afterwards, they went back to the centre where Cleeve-by-Goring WI had prepared refreshments.

Among the volunteers were families with young children, parish councillors and two dogs. Willow, a two-year-old dachshund, joined by her owner, Michael Green.

Mr Green was litter-picking in Manor Road. He said he had found a barbecue tray that had been thrown over a fence, as well as a parasol and a number of dog-poo bags .

“It’s a pride thing,” he said. “You want to be proud of where you live and you want to take care of it. Seeing people throwing stuff over the hedges and leaving their litter all over the streets, it’s disgusting. It’s scandalous, really.”

Rosie Mortimer, who lives in Goring, was litter-picking in Thames Road. She said: “I’ve come out today because it’s so important for the appearance of the town.

“Also, our local ecology needs protecting. We have so many insects and small animals who can pick up litter or get caught in something which can be so dangerous for them.”

Susan Francis, 56, has lived in Goring since 2004 and takes part in both the spring and autumn litter picks every year. She said: “I think Goring is a lovely place to live. It is a popular village, we get lots of visitors, and so it’s important to keep it looking clean and tidy.

“It’s lovely that the sun is out today and it’s not very windy. It makes picking up litter easier.”

Ryan Coombs and his wife Natalie were litter-picking in Cleeve Road. They were joined by their children, Ada, three, Ellie, six, six-month-old Dylan in a pram and their five-year-old husky, Roman.

Mr Coombs said: “We moved to Goring about two years ago and we used to litter-pick where we lived in Reading. We’re happy to be getting back into it.

“I think it’s important for us to do something that’s good for the community and good for the environment. To bring the children is an added bonus, I think we want to instil in them a good stewardship of the planet and help them to understand we just need to look after it the best way that we can.”

Jackie Simpson, 44, was litter-picking with her daughter, Lucy, nine. The pair had recently moved to Goring from Pangbourne. She said: “I’m very into sustainability and protecting wildlife, so I think events like this are really nice to be part of.

“I think that if there’s less litter on the streets, it discourages people from throwing rubbish. Having just moved here, I think it’s great for us to do our best to get stuck in.”

Peter May, 69, from Goring, said: “I have a thing about litter and I always try and pick it up when I’m walking along. I don’t like seeing it at all and going to these events is a good community thing.

“I have met some really nice people along the route, I’ve been thanked for what I’m doing and it’s quite pleasant in the sunshine.

“I’ve seen people parked up, eating their lunch and then just throwing their rubbish out of the window, which drives me mad. It’s really nice to take part in this as an activity to support the community.”

Organiser, Kevin Sanders, 62, lives in the village with his daughter, Becky, 25. He said: “I think today is going really well.

“It’s the first year that I have organised it and it’s lovely to see all these people who care about Goring.”