What is it?

Including the 3 collected today I’ve gathered 6 bags of rubbish since I last spoke to you, all of them on Northway. There’s an awful lot of rubbish on the sides of our main roads and no sooner is it cleared than more appears. Yet among all the polythene and plastic, the bottles and crisp bags nature continues to thrive. 100s of snails use the carrier bags and the take away trays as a shelter for the winter. This week I came across this perfect sphere of woven grasses, not quite as big as a football but unmistakeably a form of habitat. I'm ashamed I have no idea which creature creates such a fantastic home. If you are able to enlighten me I'd be very grateful.

The sun is shining giving the light and warmth which brings leaf buds out on the bushes and trees. On the sides of those same busy roads crocus, daffodils and banks of snowdrops are pushing their way into the light. The earth is showing its beauty after the devestating rains of the winter. Such a shame it has to compete for space with all our carelessly discarded refuse.

February accounts

Delighted to make use of the extra day to give you the February accounts. Delighted to say Clean up Prostate Cancer really got back on track as the sun took over.

19 bags of rubbish collected inc 2 from Conor

27p added to the pot

21 leaflets distributed

7 sessions

Mixed feelings

Warm sunshine as I persisted along Northway today, I have to say I’ll be very glad to complete the section I set out to cover, I need a change of scenery and preferably one which is not interrupted by endless hurtling traffic. So 2 more bags of rubbish cleared from the roadside with the added bonus of 22p picked up and now nestling in the Prostate Cancer UK pot. You see there is usually an upside.

Dog walkers were out in force and among them was a woman with a beautiful creamy coloured labrador. She accepted one of the 3 leaflets I handed out and said she would pass it on to her brother. Sadly, she lost her husband to a brain tumour. Poor thing must be feeling particularly low at the moment, she has been to 3 funerals this month all for people who died as a result of forms of cancer. I think she reacted well to the idea that by taking the Know your Prostate leaflet she was making a positive move in the fight to prevent more deaths from cancer. I keep repeating, if you have any concerns go to see your doctor, so many cancers caught early enough can be treated successfully. You just need to give medicine the chance to win.

Not much of this field of leeks left to gather but they were hard at it as I went about my business. I do like seeing signs of a food harvest, it is such a positive action. There is something so complete about it. I do like a good leek.

Litter picking in the community

A busy weekend, managed to get out everyday. The blog is all about community action, firstly by spreading awareness of Prostate Cancer to as many people as possible. Secondly, helping with the ongoing task of clearing our roadsides of litter. This weekend brought both together as I joined a group clearing a path beside the railway line at Ormskirk Station. Merseytravel do regular collections there but they always appreciate a bit of help. We found the ubiquitous supermarket trolley and bags full of rubbish including the one I filled. I spoke to David about the Clean up Prostate Cancer project and was glad to hear he’d had a PSA done recently and been given the all clear.

Friday and Sunday I was back out on Northway, the A59, a major route through Lancashire. Picked up 4 bags there and brought the weekend tally of leaflets handed out to 9. One of the people who stopped to talk to me was Pat, she was very keen to learn about the project and took leaflets for her husband and  sons. Already owning a litter picker she felt inspired enough,  by my litter picking activities, to plan to do the same around the area where she lived including a nearby park. As Pat said, if we all went out and just looked after our own patch the problem would disappear. Good stuff, Pat. Of course, it would be far better if everyone took care to dispose of their rubbish properly then we could simply enjoy the view as we walked.

Unusually, for the vast majority of the areas I collect in there was a real issue with bags of dog poo on the stretch of road between Winifred Lane and St Michael Rd. This used to be a problem in many places locally a number of years ago but the local council found the simplest of solutions. In the worst areas they spray painted dog silouhettes on pavements with the logo “Bag it and bin it”. It was so effective! I’ve been in touch and suggested they repeat the exercise at this location. I estimate I collected more that 30 bags over the weekend and the trump was returning to the bags I’d collected on Friday to discover someone had left 2 dog poo bags on the grass beside them. You can see them on the photo. Grrr. I suppose it could have been worse they would probably have thrown them in the hedge as usual if my bags hadn’t been there! 

There's always an up side and I imagine someone is really missing this little chap.

Bullseye!

We are celebrating major milestones at Clean up Prostate Cancer and it feels soooo good.

100 bags of litter collected - tick 103 total inc 2 more from Conor

100 Know your Prostate leaflets given out - tick 106 total inc 3 yesterday

Prostate Cancer UK 10000 Challenge completed - tick 10074yds total

All of this has been achieved since last June and has been a real team effort. So thank you very much to all contributors.

The primary inspiration for the project is to raise awareness of Prostate Cancer and the knowledge that at least 106 men have been given access to good information about the disease is very satisfying. So far, I do not know if anyone has acted on that information nor that anyone has been diagnosed as a consequence. For me it does not matter. The important fact is more men now know about the risk of Prostate Cancer and that early action can really make a difference.

Then Clean up Prostate Cancer has also done its bit to help improve our World. Sounds odd but there is something very fulfilling in filling a bag with rubbish. I think people, quite rightly, don't pay attention to a clean space but they do notice one that is marred by rubbish. We've been doing our best helping to make the view the only thing you notice. 100 bags of rubbish is just the beginning.

January accounts are out

It's time for the January accounts to be published. Not the best but the numbers do bring us very close to a major milestone so here goes

9 bags collected inc 3 from Conor

2 leaflets given out

Income 1p (found)

So the drums can start warming up as the total of bags collected for the Clean up Prostate Cancer project to date reaches 97.

More the merrier

Delighted to hear from Conor who has busy again on the verges of West Lancashire. He collected these 3 bulging bags yesterday. Good stuff. I met Conor by pure chance last year, he was out running along a section of road where I was doing a collection, he stopped to give me a hand which actually made me feel a bit emotional. I can be a bit of a softy at times. Chatting, he explained he quite often picked up a carrier bag of rubbish in the area around his home.

Since we met, I have received a message and a photo from Conor recording his litter collecting activities every month. That is the point I would like to emphasis. To make a difference it doesn’t take a huge amount of time or a massive effort. It has become abundantly clear to me the whole business of keeping the tide of unsightly and polluting litter at bay is collect repeat, collect repeat, collect repeat. The more of us who are doing it the greater the impact. It can be demoralising to have to keep going back but looking over ground you have cleared makes it all worthwhile for me. There is also a theory that cleaning up an area reduces littering, I’ll need some convincing on that one.

Looking back, one of the abiding images of the industrial North are the rows and rows of terraced houses. Linked very closely in my own mind are personal memories of women kneeling on the pavement scrubbing the step or wielding brooms sweeping the pavement outside their homes. I’m sure there are people who still continue this tradition. Of course, we have insulation, central heating, internet and constant hot water these days but sometimes strands of the past are worth hanging on to. Among them, I would suggest, is taking care of the World around you. (I know selective memory – belching chimneys and toxic working conditions etc but ...).

You may already be a litter picker but if you haven't considered getting involved it is so very satisfying and your really are making a difference. It doesn't have to be part of any scheme or group, please, just do your own thing.