THE NOMADIC LITTERPICKERS GROUP—a community of boat dwellers—Is taking action to keep their waterways and neighbourhoods clean.
First ever event
On Saturday 18th October, the group organised their first ever litter-picking event together, starting along the towpath in Tottenham from Tottenham Lock.
As passionate stewards of the environment, the Nomadic Litterpickers group recognises the importance of maintaining clean and healthy waterways and public spaces, with Alain Gough-Olaya of the group relating:
“As boat dwellers, we have a deep connection to the waterways and surrounding areas.
"We wanted to do our part to keep these spaces beautiful and accessible for everyone to enjoy.”
During the litter-picking event, the Nomadic Litterpickers Group collected a significant amount of rubbish, including plastic bottles, cans, and other discarded items from the river, towpath, and from inside bushes. They had a successful day cleaning up the area of rubbish, filling 30 rubbish bags in all, with Alain adding:
“It was amazing to see the community come together and work towards a common goal, not only did we make a visible difference in the cleanliness of the area, but we also had the opportunity to connect with our fellow boat dwellers and neighbours.”
Organise regular clean-ups
The group's commitment to environmental stewardship extends beyond their recent litter-picking event. The group plans to organise regular clean-up efforts in the areas they travel to.
With Marcus Trower, Deputy Chair of the National Bargee Travellers Association, explaining:
“We are a nomadic community, so we travel from place to place. Instead of having one fixed home, our home encompasses the waterways and all the places we travel through and stop off at."
"Nomadic Litterpickers is another excellent example of community initiatives from the boating community, which is wonderful to witness, especially now that the Canal & River Trust is contemplating a law change that could jeopardise our travelling community. It's another example of why the travelling boat dweller community is worth defending.”