Ventnor Wombles have litter picked 45 bags of rubbish in 28 hours: An example to us all

Wendy Marshall (aka Womble Wendy) shares this report of their most recent sterling litter picking efforts. Ed

With less traffic through Wroxall with St. John’s Road closed for 10 weeks, Ventnor Wombles took the opportunity to litter pick the B3327 from Rolf’s Corner – the junction of Newport Road and Rew Lane, Ventnor – to Mountfield Road, Wroxall.

Due to Covid 19 restrictions this was not a group litter pick, it involved three Wombles in total – working as a pair or on their own.

Starting on 21st February, and continuing on 25th, 28th February, 6th March and finishing on the 7th, it took a total of 28 hours, 45 bags of rubbish was collected including a construction knife, golf ball and a Fozzy Bear, plus items that could not be put in a bag such as metal pipes, wooden poles, broken piece of butler sink, plastic cone.

Fence panels in the hedge were just too big for Wombles to transfer to their waste collection point and therefore Island Roads have been notified.

There was also two dead bodies. A bird probably hit by a car and a mouse, murdered by someone discarding a glass bottle that it got into but could not get out as the bottle was lying on the side of the bank in an upright position.

Cost of the litter picking
An approximate cost of this litter pick, (labour, bags, disposal by a licensed waste operator) would be about £350 – £400 pounds. This does not include the fuel used by the Wombles car to transfer the rubbish to a collection point – this paid by the Wombles.

Womble litter picking is free of charge. The rubbish bags were paid by Island Roads and donated.

The only cost incurred has been for the disposal of the rubbish and this has been approximately £100 and paid by those who pay their precept part of the Council Tax to Ventnor Town Council – Thank you.

Thanks to Great Uncle Womble Don, Womble Helen and Womble Wendy for clearing the rubbish on this road.

Secret drinkers
Saturday March 6th saw two other Ventnor Wombles litter pick The Rabbit Warren area of Wroxall Down – footpaths V5 and V3 area off Down Lane, Lowtherville.

This is an area used by those who wish to drink in secret! It’s an area of gorse of which you can disappear into!

Two hours later, 200 cans crushed filled one huge bin bag. There was also two large bags of glass bottles and another bin bag full of litter and broken glass – 4 bags in total.

So if you’re secretly drinking here….. Found You.

Victoria Corner
Tuesday 9th March and Victoria Corner – junction of High Street with Victoria Street opposite the Clock Shop had the seating area cleared of rubbish and leaves, litter picked and broken glass swept up – four bags.

Another three bags
Sunday 14th March and we were requested by a resident of Ventnor to litter pick footpath V114d between Bellevue Road and Ocean View Road, this completed quickly and therefore while in the area the Triangle Garden at the top of Grove Road opposite Ventnor Industrial Estate was also litter picked – three bags and a broken fishing pole!