Volunteers for the litter-picking group Keep Abergavenny Tidy were accompanied by Town Mayor, Councillor Tudor Thomas for the first community litter pick of the new year on Tuesday 4 January.

Before the group’s members got to work across their multiple locations around the town, the Mayor praised their efforts and stated how much improved the town was looking thanks in no small part to the contributions of Keep Abergavenny Tidy.

Councillor Thomas later joined some of the litter pickers in Lista Vista Gardens where he was able to personally thank them for their time and commitment, whilst many other collectors reported back at the end of the morning session the public’s appreciation of their activities.

On the day, 26 orange bags of general waste were collected, along with 7 purple recycling bags, which provides some indication of the severity of this ongoing problem and the need for action to be taken by KAT volunteers.

Since the group’s re-launch just under 3 years ago KAT volunteers have collected nearly 1300 bags of litter. In addition, the group has produced a lengthy submission in response to Welsh Government’s consultation paper regarding strategies to combat littering, fly tipping and dog fouling and recently met with Monmouth AM Peter Fox to discuss strategies around solutions to reduce waste frequently left in laybys and along roadsides.

Meetings and get togethers with local businesses are planned for early 2022, and later this month a virtual meeting will take place involving KAT and other anti-litter groups in Monmouthshire in order to share ideas and exchange good practice towards litter and waste reduction.

Keep Abergavenny Tidy are grateful to Stuart Hands, Assistant Manager of the Abergavenny Community Centre Leadership Team, and the group would like to thank him for his generous support allowing Park St to be the hub for the group’s kit storage, as well as enabling loans of picking equipment for members of the public who wish to join in.

The next community litter collection will be at the usual time of 10am on the first Tuesday of the month, 1st February, from the Abergavenny Community in Park St, setting off from the car park on the Merthyr Rd entrance. The group welcome new recruits and looks forward to people joining in to help Keep Abergavenny Tidy.