Fleetwood Wombles rally rolunteers to keep their seaside town clean
A team of volunteers are doing their bit to make sure Fleetwood is kept tidy.
Dedicated volunteers are taking the cleanliness of Fleetwood streets into their own hands.
Fleetwood Wombles is an active group, initially set up on Facebook to litter pick, to gather the rubbish, pick up the bits of paper and discarded cans to give the town a cleaner feel.
It grew out of Mount Ward Wombles, which is where regular Saturday sessions first started.
A spokesperson said: “Those Saturday sessions run as Mount Ward Wombles.
“Fleetwood Wombles itself is more informal, set up to help share information more widely, advertise sessions more consistently, and reach more people across the town.
“It also gives people a place to connect, whether that’s joining organised sessions or heading out on their own or in small groups.”
The inspiration came from similar groups in other towns and is designed to be practical, low pressure and flexible.
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People can do as much or as little as they want, and it’s also a chance to meet others, connect locally and boost wellbeing while doing something positive for the community and the environment.
“A big part of what we’re trying to do is make it easier for people to get involved,” said Matt.
“There are lots of people who care about keeping the area clean but aren’t always sure how or where to start, so we’re helping bridge that gap.”
Fleetwood Wombles are also starting to raise awareness around wider waste issues like fly tipping, including how to check that waste carriers are properly licensed and where to report problems.
“A lot of people aren’t sure which organisation is responsible for what, so anything we can do to help reduce that confusion is a positive step,” said Matt.
“We also try to support other local efforts where we can.
“For example, we regularly encourage people to take part in The Bay’s beach clean, run in partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust on the last Saturday of each month, and many of our volunteers attend that instead of us running a separate session.”
People can get involved by joining the Fleetwood Wombles Facebook group, where sessions, events and information are shared.