Litter-pickers get to work tidying the Taff
VOLUNTEERS and community groups have clubbed together to remove waste that has long blighted waters around a South Wales waterfront.
Members of a local river group were joined by local residents and Keep Wales Tidy to collect more than 100 bags of rubbish and a tonne of bulky waste left dumped around the banks of the River Taff.
Large road signs, a trolley and mattresses were among the items collected by the turnout of 40 volunteers in just over two hours on a chilly New Year’s Eve morning.
It will now be disposed of and recycled where possible.
Louise Tambini, founding member of the river group, was delighted with the effort.
She said: “It was a pleasure to see 40 volunteers turn up for the New Year’s Eve clean-up – definitely a great way of starting a new year.
“With support from other community groups, the council and Keep Wales Tidy, we make such a positive difference to the environment. It gives everyone in the group great satisfaction to know that we’re helping to keep a major part of the city clean, all while having a bit of fun too.”
It is the first time this area has been cleaned by the group, who decided to take the opportunity now while there is no nesting wildlife.
Louise added: “For river areas like this we have to be careful of nesting birds. It was best to remove litter from the habitat before they start to nest there again to help return it to its natural state when the birds come back.”
People from all walks of life and ages give up their time for the group, which has grown greatly from its five founding members in 2009 to today’s army of around 400 volunteers.
The next big clean for the group is in February for the Great Taff Tidy, which is organised by environment charity Keep Wales Tidy.
Over three days, dozens of volunteers, including those from the river group, will blitz key areas of the River Taff.
Anyone wishing to get involved with the Cardiff River Group or the Great Taff Tidy is asked to visit cardiffriversgroup.co.uk and sign up to the mailing list.