It was a sunny Thursday morning. For some, that meant catching up on emails or sitting through meetings. For Cromwell and nine other local businesses, it meant something far more hands on. Armed with litter picking bags and plenty of determination, it was time to roll up sleeves and take on the GB Spring Clean.
Back Again
We are no strangers to a litter pick. In fact, we think it is part of the Cromwell DNA now, and we have been supporting Keep Britain Tidy during their GB Spring Clean for the past decade. As the years have gone on, we have widened our team, moving from just Cromwell staff to opening it up to fellow local businesses.
The area we cover is a large local industrial estate where we are based. It is an area we have covered for many years now, even before our Spring Clean efforts, collecting wrongly discarded waste from roadsides, pathways and shrubbery. The busy estate is prone to litter, and despite our tireless efforts each year to keep the area clean, sadly the sheer amount of footfall and transport arriving daily leaves it a target for littering. This is why we choose it year on year as our litter picking hot spot. Each year, we return with our litter picking bags, ready to tackle the same persistent issue. And each year, the message is clear. The litter is not going anywhere without action.
In 2024, while carrying out a clean up, we were approached by neighbouring businesses. They initially thanked us for our efforts, but soon shared a strong interest in getting involved themselves by grabbing a bag and picker and joining the cause, as they have noticed the waste issue too. We thought they might not be alone in wanting to take part, so we widened the net, appealing to other companies to come and join us, and the response was amazing. We utilised our membership of the local networking group ‘We Are Sherburn’ to spread the word, and soon we had over 30 volunteers, each equipped with litter picking bags and a shared purpose.
Now, fast forward two years to 2026, and the team is bigger than ever.
Litter Picking Team… Assemble!
This year’s clean up, held in early April, saw an impressive 58 volunteers take part. Some were returning participants, others were completely new, but all were ready to make a difference.
With more volunteers and more litter picking bags, we were able to cover a wider area than ever before. Teams spread out across the estate, focusing on the areas most affected, particularly along busy roads and transport routes.
As expected, we found the usual items. Food packaging, cans, and e-cigarettes. But there were also some unusual finds. A dozen unused eggs, broken traffic cones, a road closure sign, and even a television.
After just one hour, the results were clear. Volunteers were tired but satisfied, and the improvement was immediately visible.
In total, 98 litter picking bags were filled. That is almost 100 bags of waste removed from the local environment and collected for proper disposal. A record for our team, and a strong reminder of both the scale of the issue and the impact of collective effort.
Local Heroes!
It is always a pleasure to be joined on our litter picks, and the work from the team was faultless. Thank you to Peacan Deluxe, Cranswick, GXO, Kinnerton and Humdinger Foods, ATAM, HAGS, Elmet Lions and Benchmark Marketing. You did Sherburn proud.