Letter: Volunteer Litter-pickers Help Keep Waterway Tidy

Published on: 21 Feb, 2016
Updated on: 21 Feb, 2016

From Richard Cant, Stoke lengthman, River Wey & Godalming Navigations

The National Trust-owned River Wey & Godalming Navigations runs through the heart of Guildford on its 20-mile journey from Godalming to the River Thames at Weybridge.

As part of the ongoing maintenance of this unique property both staff and volunteers make every effort to remove litter from both the towpath and the water, and hopefully you’ll agree it helps make it a great place to visit.

The vast majority of our visitors to the property are very conscientious, taking their litter home with them and clearing up after their dogs.

Unfortunately there will always be a minority of people who just don’t realise how dropping litter spoils the environment for humans and wildlife.

Marks & Spencer staff who volunteer with the River Wey Navigations

Thankfully for every sinner there is a saint, and in this case they come in the form of National Trust volunteers.

These hard-working individuals spend their spare time helping out whenever they can with a whole range of essential tasks, with litter picking being just one of them.

Bags of rubbish after a clean-up along the River Wey Navigations.

We even have local businesses helping to keep the place tidy, such as the staff members from Marks & Spencer who come out litter picking as part of their national Big Beach and Waterways Clean Up campaign.

Without the help of these volunteers, who take pride and ownership of their local area we wouldn’t be able to keep on top of the ‘grot spots’, so I would like to say a big thank you to all of them them from everyone who uses and enjoys the River Wey Navigation.

If you would like to learn more about volunteering either as an individual or a corporate group please contact the Navigations Office on 01483 561389 or e-mail riverwey@nationaltrust.org.uk