LOVE ♥ YOUR TOWN

Back in March 2021, inspired by the amazing Wombles and the community-spirited villagers of Bagby and Balk, a dedicated team of Thirsk FoE volunteers took on the daunting task of litter-picking nearly 20 miles of country lanes in a five-kilometre radius around the picturesque North Yorkshire market town of Thirsk – filling roughly 300 bags with plastic and glass bottles, cans, takeaway food packaging, plastic bags, empty crisp packets, etc – leaving a trail of pristine, litter-free grass verges.

Fast forward to 2025, and we’ve just completed our fifth 5k round-the clock country lane litter pick. 

We know other towns and villages also take pride in their surroundings, but we think Thirsk may just be the first town in Yorkshire, maybe in England and perhaps even worldwide to be able to declare its country lanes ‘litter-free’ for 5 km all around. Happy to be corrected!

Thanks to all those who gave their time and energy to make our beautiful corner of North Yorkshire even more special! Thanks also to NYC Waste and Street Scene (Hambleton) for providing pickers, bags and high-vis jackets.

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