Litter Picking

Volunteers of all ages pose for a photo after a productive litter picking session


When we first started tackling litter on-site, there was definitely much more of it about. Nowadays, a regular spruce up keeps litter levels much lower, whilst also being a visible demonstration that the community truly cares for our local environment.

All of our volunteer sessions include an opportunity to do some litter picking in the parks and along the esplanade. We provide pickers, bags, hoops and gloves and recommend volunteers wear suitable clothing and robust footwear. There’s always a great sense of satisfaction when collecting up the litter, it’s good gentle exercise and suitable for all ages, whatever your ability.

Volunteers pose with litter picking equipment on a walkway beside the River Medway

We also occasionally conduct litter picks along the foreshore of the river, particularly after the high tides of the equinoxes. As this is trickier underfoot, foreshore litter picks are only open to volunteers over the age of 16.

How You Can Help

If you’d like to volunteer, take a look at our Join in page for a list of our volunteer sessions. 

Whilst each session will vary depending on the season, there will be a range of things you can take part in. Specifically for the litter picking, you might be collecting from different parts of the Esplanade. With your help, we can ensure it remains a clean and appealing place to be.

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Litter Picking News

  • Foreshore Litter Pick: April 2025

    Volunteers pose for a group photo with many sacks of collected litter and some larger items, including an abandoned dinghy!

    One of the activites we undertake a few times a year is to extend our litter picking efforts further upriver from the Esplanade Gardens to the stretch of foreshore by the Medway Towns Rowing Club. As usual, we collected a huge amount of litter, as well as some larger and more interesting items!

    Read more …

  • A Little Spring Cleaning

    A group of volunteers stand in front of about 15 black bags of collected litter and some other larger items taken from the foreshore

    We recently teamed up with members of the Medway Rowing Club to do our first foreshore litter pick at the southern end of The Esplanade. Did you know we try to schedule these sessions according to the phase of the moon?

    Read more …