30 volunteers from Cardiff Rivers Group and Cath Cobb Community Woodland Group, supported by Cardiff Council Parks Rangers, braved driving rain to clean up the area surrounding Hendre Lake in St Mellons on Sunday (10 January).

The volunteers were joined by Wales and British & Irish Lions rugby legend Tom Shanklin, and his daughter Rosie, who helped to litter-pick the popular park.

Tom said, “It’s really important to support events such as this as we all have a part to play in looking after our local area. Organisations such as Cardiff Rivers Group and Keep Wales Tidy should be applauded for showing us how easy it is to make a huge difference. We live in a beautiful country and all need to do our bit to ensure it stays that way. The volunteers here today are a great example to us all.”

Together they braved horrendous weather conditions, including horizontal hail, to collect in excess of 50 bags of rubbish. Much of the litter was left by irresponsible anglers, including items such as tackle boxes, snapped line, broken rods and tents, plus lots of food and drink related waste. Car wheels, tyres, pallets and several gas canisters were also removed from the lake and surrounding area.

Dave King, CRG Treasurer, said, “bearing in mind the awful weather we had this weekend it is testament to the dedication and commitment of our volunteers to make the effort to come out and tackle the problem of litter and fly-tipping on what is a fantastic wildlife and leisure area. To collect in excess of 50 bags of rubbish in just two hours shows the impact such events can have. Plus we have a good time! I would encourage everyone to have a New Year resolution to come and join in this year – give it a go – you may surprise yourself!”

More photos of the event can be seen here https://www.flickr.com/photos/47355989@N07/albums/72157662803482190

Cardiff Rivers Group next event will take place on 30th January when they hope to be in Cardiff Bay, working in and around Hamadryad Park  — please keep an eye on the event entry on this website and/or the CRG Facebook page for confirmation.