Join Tom on his 'plog' – litter pick and jog

An initiative has been launched in Battenhall and St Peter’s encouraging people to combine exercise with keeping their neighbourhoods tidy.

Tom Piotrowski is looking for volunteers to join him at the regular plogging sessions that combine gentle jogging with litter picking.

The first session produced a large haul of bottles, plastics, single-use face masks and other pieces of rubbish scattered around St Peter’s.

He said: “It is an amazingly efficient way of combining good exercise with some positive action for the local community.

“It's amazing how much rubbish can be picked up during one hour of gentle jogging and brisk walking.

“In addition to picking up all that rubbish that takes literally thousands of years to dissolve if left untouched in the natural environment, we also want to make a statement that littering is not acceptable and we should all have a responsibility of keeping our streets and pathways clean.”

He added: “I will continue to push the [city] council for the sufficient number of bins and regular checks for our green areas but I also realise that their resources are limited and that local residents could chip in as well, especially if it means doing some gentle exercise.” 

To join a plogging session or raise concerns about a specific area around Battenhall or St Peter’s contact Mr Piotrowski at tom@tompiotrowski.co.uk or 07572 424543.