Wombles Of South Leicestershire, Helping Clean Up The Streets

We all eat or drink something on the go, whether it be a quick snack on a fruit or a can of pop. However, most of us will find the appropriate bin to make sure we don’t cause a mess for but for those of us who don’t in the Leicestershire area, you have a new enemy, the Wombles. No, not the Wombles you know from years ago on TV, these Wombles have a mission and it is to clean up the mess that other residents and passers-by keep leaving behind, in towns, lay byes and villages.

The South Leicestershire Little Wombles as they are titled was a project born through the minds of 3 residents of the area (Karen Butler, Bob Lee and Steve Grubb) wanting to make a change after seeing the problem not being resolved by authorities. As locals to Oadby, Wigston and Blaby council they got in touch for a starting kit to begin their project of cleaning up South Leicestershire and over 2+ years the group has amassed 2400 members alone on their Facebook page making them ‘’possibly the largest litter picking group in England’’ a proud Karen Butler mentioned. Shockingly refuse in local pick ups have numbered over 14,000 bags worth, kindly collected by driven volunteers of the cause, some even dating back multiple years.

‘’Some of the litter has been in situ for over 30+ years or more according to their best before dates’’ she went on to say.

Lockdown has restricted their routes movements and group numbers on site but besides the safety concerns which are very important to the Wombles, they are still fighting the good fight to clean up Leicestershire after all, they have fought through terrible weather all year round in the past so they won’t let a global pandemic stop their mission to rid Leicester of rubbish.

(Written & Edited By John Perry)