Deborah Woolven-Orrett
Queen of Litter
My name is Deborah Woolven-Orrett, I’m a retired Wells resident and I am quite upfront that my passion in life is Litter Picking!
As part of my Councillor role at Wells City Council , I organise litter picking weekends on three occasions during the year. This involves approximately 60 individuals who clear rubbish from their residential areas, the approach roads to Wells and the city centre.We are provided with equipment and insurance by Wells City Council, our generous sponsors.
We acknowledge that whilst the Council does have a contract with idverde to keep the streets and our open spaces clean, our assistance is invaluable as it’s a Herculean task keeping on top of litter. Many of my keen pickers go out on a regular basis as well as allocated week ends. Often the worst areas are the verges coming into the city where fast food packaging, soiled nappies and all sorts of debris are collected. This is a danger to our wildlife. Many small animals and birds are killed tempted by roadside” snacks “. And of course volunteers have to proceed with caution where cars are passing fast and close.
For each litter picking weekend, I organise a communal group where we gather to target areas that are particularly needy which may be a car park or a supermarket loading area. We leave our rubbish bags in locations where Idverde contractors kindly collect and dispose.
On some occasions we have attempted to recycle but a lot of what we pick up isn’t pleasant and not for close handling. We have occasional social gatherings where we exchange ideas on waste management and how to educate the public. We think it is working somewhat as on the whole there is less rubbish now than in previous years.
I am always looking for new volunteers and to be informed about locations of need.
If you require further details or would like to join our working party please contact me on