Community Litter Warden Scheme: Volunteer Position Profile
January 2016
About CPRE Avonside
The Campaign to Protect Rural England, Avonside (CPRE Avonside) is the local branch of a national
charity. We campaign for green cities set in thriving countryside. Right here in the West of England,
we want to show how the city and countryside can work together in a genuinely sustainable way.
Bristol is a beautiful and creative city with a strong interest in local food and sustainability. We
would like Bristol to show how we can protect our precious local countryside by making our cities
better places to live. CPRE nationally is comprised of local branches spread across the whole of
England, working alongside a national office. We believe a beautiful, thriving countryside is
important for everyone no matter where they live. We don’t own land or represent any special
interests. Our members are united in their love for England’s landscapes and local communities, and
stand up for the countryside, so it can continue to sustain, enchant and inspire future generations.
Volunteer Position Profile
CPRE Avonside is setting up a Community Litter Warden Scheme in Bristol to help reduce litter in
public places. Community Litter Wardens are individuals working in a local area to reduce litter. You
could be nominated and supported by, for example, a neighbourhood partnership or other local
community group, or be a committed individual. You would undertake a regular (weekly or
fortnightly) litter pick of your area (to be agreed) and act as a point of contact on litter issues for the
community. You may organise and advertise clean-up days in the area and encourage other
members of the community to join in on a public litter pick.
To become part of this scheme, you must agree to the following:
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To litterpick on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
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To consider setting up a group on the www.litteraction.org.uk website.
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To record each litterpick that takes place, adding the number of bags collected and any
additional information, for the period of your tenure (this can be done on the
www.litteraction.org.uk website or by hand).
You will receive a one-off honorarium of £100 Bristol Pounds. If you are unable to complete the
tenure of your honorarium (minimum one year), you must notify CPRE Avonside in writing, nominate
someone else to take your place and provide written evidence that the remaining proportion of your
honorarium has been transferred to your replacement.
CPRE Avonside will provide you with all the necessary litterpicking equipment – including for group
litter picks (including litter picker, hi-vis vest and bags).
You will be responsible for ensuring you have your own insurance. CPRE Avonside will not provide
any insurance for your activities undertaken on this scheme or be liable for any injury or loss that
might occur.
What’s in it for you?
CPRE volunteers are motivated to help for a range of reasons, but normally they have a strong
interest in protecting and enhancing the environment, as well as encouraging people to enjoy the
countryside and all it has to offer.
Benefits include:
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A great opportunity to use your existing experience and to develop new skills
Working with others to make a difference both locally and nationally
The potential to meet and discuss issues with a wide range of like-minded people
Opportunities to attend local and national CPRE activities, events and workshops
The role is voluntary, although we will pay a one-off honorarium of £100 Bristol Pounds
Further information
The scheme is part of CPRE’s wider ‘Stop the Drop’ campaign which has been making great progress
in changing national policy on litter. CPRE nationally has been instrumental, as part of the Break the
Bag Habit coalition, in the introduction of a 5p charge on plastic bags in 2015, as well as encouraging
local litter schemes, and setting up the www.litteraction.org.uk website, in partnership with
CleanupUK, to publicise and connect local litter picking groups.
We believe a Community Litter Warden scheme would go some way towards tackling the growing
problem of litter in Bristol. To date, the scheme has been extremely successful in other areas and
has delivered a number of important benefits, such as:
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Cleaner neighbourhoods, as the wardens litter pick weekly or fortnightly, depending on the
need;
Litter being seen by the community as an important issue, as a local person can be seen
regularly clearing up after others;
Many wardens are involving friends and family, including children, in their efforts, with some
wardens reporting a greater community spirit and friendships developing between
previously unknown neighbours;
Sharing of good practice - litter wardens from different communities have opportunities to
meet, swap stories and share ideas, building community cohesion within local areas and
county-wide;
The scheme supports many councils who struggle to allocate sufficient funding to tackle the
litter problem in their areas;
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Important data on levels of litter collected from local areas is recorded by the wardens and
used to demonstrate the scale of the problem, as well as the importance of the voluntary
contribution in dealing with it.
When data on litter activities is included on the LitterAction website, this is used by CPRE to
support local, regional and national media work and to inform written and oral evidence
provided to the Government on England’s litter problem.
Contact details: For more information on this role or others like it, please contact: Sophie Spencer on
0784741130 or email director@cpreavonside.org.uk .
For more information about CPRE Avonside, please visit our website at www.cpreavonside.org.uk.
Closing date: February 28th 2016
With thanks to the Bristol 2015 Small Grants Fund and the Quartet Community Foundation.
CPRE Avonside, January 2016