Farnham’s largest litter picking effort to date has uncovered some unusual items of rubbish including an old carpet, a foot-long pipe joint, a car bumper and an installation CD for Microsoft Windows!

During the Great British Spring Clean on Saturday 4 March, as part of a national campaign run by Keep Britain Tidy, 30 people which included members of the Farnham in Bloom community group, Town Councillors, Heath End Gardeners and the Tilford branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, collected over 30 bags of rubbish from around the town centre.

The volunteers covered the area around Hickley’s Corner and the footpath up to the filling station on the bypass, Castle Street up to Farnham Park, South Street, West Street, East Street, Dogflud Way, Gostrey Meadow and Borelli Walk.

At the same time a litter pick took place in Badshot Lea and saw 18 people collecting 20 bags of rubbish from around the village.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Carole Cockburn took part in the litter pick and said: “I would like to thank everybody who came along to help at the Great British Spring Clean. The amount of rubbish we find during these litter picks never ceases to amaze me.

“I have to say that it is always very satisfying to see what has been collected and to know that our town centre is that much tidier because of our efforts.”

The Great British Spring Clean was followed by Big Pick Week. Pupils from St. Andrew’s School and Potters Gate School focused on litter picking around their schools and John Ely, local resident and member of the Farnham in Bloom Community Group led a litter pick around Water Lane and Farnham Trading Estate. The Big Pick Week also inspired UCA students to gather a team of volunteers to clear an area of Roman Way. Tyres, two shopping trolleys, plastic crates, sofa cushions, wood, tyres and polystyrene were just some of the items collected.

Responding to their request to get involved, Farnham Town Council enabled 25 local volunteers from Churt to litter pick a stretch of Bacon Lane, Pond Lane, Wishanger Lane, Frensham Lane, Symondstone, Lampard’s Lane and Star Hill.

The next organised Big Pick Week will be in the autumn. In the meantime, anybody who is interested in regularly litter picking an area near where they live can join the Bloomin’ Litter Pickers.