New bins and new members for expanding Wombles

Spalding’s Wombles have bought new bins, been praised by the Town Forum and appeared on county radio in the last few days.

With almost 2,000 members, the group has opened a bank account for donations to help supply equipment and to provide litter bins.

The ten bins will be sited in liaison with the district council and there’s an online poll to decide options on the group’s Facebook page.

And a meeting of Spalding Town Forum last week praised the Wombles for all the work that has been done since the group started in early January.

“We’ve got to say a great big thank you to all those people who have started doing this in the depths of winter. They’re going out and picking up rubbish, I think it’s wonderful,” said Coun Elizabeth Sneath.

“It is a spectacular effort by a significant number of people who have demonstrated community spirit.

“They have demonstrated that they don’t believe it is the council’s job. The council does as much as it can, and the council supports it as much as it can – but they’ve appreciated the council is a very small team,” said Coun Roger Gambba-Jones.

“It’s clearly demonstrating that Spalding is very much what it used to be – a community with a community spirit and people who believe in the place,” he added.

The group’s members have been out and about collecting bags of litter across the town.

The fantastic support for the group has not gone unnoticed and BBC Radio Lincolnshire interviewed one of the founders, Simon Law, on Sunday.

The Spalding group of Wombles has sparked enthusiasm in other South Holland towns.

Holbeach Wombles launched a Facebook page at the weekend and is looking to emulate the success of its neighbours in cleaning up the streets. With more than 140 followers in just a couple of days there have already been donations of litter pickers, bags, gloves and santiser from B&Q and SM Painting & Decorating.