My name's Gill Thomas, Stroud District Council’s Member Champion for Litter and Clean Environment. Since being elected I’ve worked hard to support communities in tackling anti-social behaviour, whilst improving the health and wellbeing of residents.

I'm taking my action a step further with 'Litter Pickers for Little Pickers'. The campaign aims to provide all primary-aged children access to litter picking sticks so that they can play a part in keeping the areas around their schools tidy. There are just over 60 primary schools in the Stroud District and so far 38 have signed up to the campaign, requesting over 1200 litter pickers between them. The schools I’ve contacted so far have asked for anything from 10 to 100 sticks each. It has been heartwarming to witness such enthusiasm. The demand from schools for litter pickers has been incredible, and proves there is a strong desire in our communities for action. Giving schools all these litter pickers is going to make the activity of picking up litter so much more accessible, and in so doing, will help to promote positive behaviour change.

How am I going to raise the money?

Last year I ran and litter picked the Stroud Half Marathon, which I completed in 3 and a half hours, collecting 22 bags of rubbish along the way. I really enjoyed the challenge, which generated a lot of publicity about the problem of litter in our District, and inspired me to scale up my efforts dramatically.

Over the next 12 months I'll be taking part in a number of different fundraising challenges, all designed to test my strength, endurance, and determination - and I’ll be doing them all with a litter picker in my hand.

March 9th 2025 - Minch 10K

June 21st 2025 - Shortest night of the year, 26.2 mile all night litter pick

August 2025 - 172km trash trail bike ride around the District boundary

September 2025 - 21km waste water swim along the canal

October 26th 2025 - Stroud Half Marathon

January 1st 2026 - Ice Walk over broken glass bottles collected as litter from the streets of Stroud.

February 14th 2026 - 'Lay Bys' of Love

The litter crisis is getting worse across the whole of the UK. Only 9 out of 100 places are completely litter free, with deprived areas being three times more likely to be affected, (The Guardian.) Littered streets have a detrimental impact on mental health and safety, as well as the economic development of an area. At a local level, it costs Stroud District Council over £770,000 a year in tax-payers’ money to empty bins, clear streets of rubbish and remove fly-tipped waste.

Some people have the attitude that it’s OK to drop rubbish in the streets, as someone else - usually the council - will clear up after them. But the council can’t be out every day as well as doing weekly bin collections; so it’s the responsibility of all of us to help keep our streets tidy. If we all do a little bit when we’re out and about, and make it a team effort, it will benefit everyone.

Picking up litter isn’t the solution to the problem, but it does enable people to take positive action. The more opportunities we give people to pick up litter, the more chance there is of developing positive behaviour change and creating cleaner, greener, safer spaces for everyone to enjoy.

I am seeking your support in reaching my target amount of £10,000 so that together we can make a lasting impact on our community's environment. Please help me in supporting our local schools and each other to nurture the next generation of litter champions.

Schools include:

Amberley

Bisley Blue Coat

Bluecoat C of E

Brimscombe

Bussage Primary School

Callowell Primary School and Pre-School, Stroud

Cam Everlands Primary School

Cam Hopton

Cam Woodfield Infant

Cam Woodfield Junior School

Cashes Green Primary School and Children's Centre

Chalford Hill Primary School PTA

Coaley CofE Primary Academy

Cranham CofE Primary School

Dursley C of E Primary Academy

Foxmoor Primary School

Gastrells Primary School

Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy

Hunts Grove

Kings Stanley Primary School PTFA

FOLSS Friends of Leonard Stanley School

Longney CofE Primary Academy

Minchinhampton Academy

Miserden Primary School

Nailsworth

North Nibley

Oakridge Parochial Primary School

Randwick

Sheepscombe

Slimbridge

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Marvellous St. Matthew's

Stone with Woodford

Stroud Valley Community School PTFA

The Acorn School

The British School

Friends of The Croft School

Rosary Catholic Primary School Stroud

The Shrubberies School and Apperley Centre

Thrupp

Upton St Leonard’s

Whiteshill Primary School

Whitminster Endowed C of E Primary School

Woodchester Endowed CofE Primary School