'Litter picking helped me after my husband's death'

When Dawn D'Auvin set up the Crosby Wombles litter-picking collective three years ago, her supportive husband Adrian was by her side.

But following his unexpected death in August after contracting sepsis, the group has proved to be so much more than simply a worthwhile hobby for her.

In the days and weeks that followed, she has told how she came to rely on the group in ways she had never imagined.

"This community has been so incredibly supportive," she said.

"There are many stories shared in a safe environment and people go away better for sharing."

The group, which was set up by Dawn and her friend Jacqui Armistead, aims to bring together like-minded people who strive to make the world a cleaner place.

The ambition is to encourage, equip, and enable people to carry out their own solo litter picks as well as giving them the opportunity to participate in organised group events.

There is also a coffee and cake catch-up once a month.

For Janine Bowyer, litter picking with the group came along just as her children flew the nest.

"I was just looking for new things to do - an empty nester," she said.

"This morning there must have been about 15 people who stopped me and said 'thank you for keeping Crosby clean'.

"It does make you feel good, and wanted I suppose."

Not even a recent hip operation could stop fellow rubbish collector Anthea Stewart from putting in a shift.

The 85-year-old said: "I want to be here. I love it. I want to do a useful thing," said Anthea with a litter stick in one hand and a walking stick in the other. "

Jack Dowden has been volunteering since the summer after being made redundant.

"When you get the tap on the shoulder it's that horrible feeling within your stomach and you think 'what am I gonna do?'," he said.

"I wanted to do something that would give me a bit of self-worth.

"I knew it was going to be a bit of a strain on mental health as well, so I wanted to sort of make sure I had some focus and something that I felt I could give back to the community a little bit.

"It's been a really positive experience for me."

He has since secured a new job - and The Crosby Wombles features on his CV.

The group's work has not gone unnoticed.

They have recently been nominated for The King's Award for Voluntary Service and have been nominated for a Keep Britain Tidy award.

From litter to life-affirming friendships, the group has given the many involved a sense of togetherness.

"My passion apart from teaching is that everybody feels that they belong to something," said Dawn.

"That they are uniquely important."

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