'We’re not fair weather Wombles': Merseyside ‘family’ make such a difference they've got the King's attention

Bootle Action Group (BAG) describes itself as a community of individuals dedicated to reporting and clearing rubbish for the benefit of Bootle, committed to preserving and enhancing what is left of Bootle’s heritage. We meet its members at North Park where they are conducting one of their regularly scheduled litter-picks, and by the time we get there, the group has already filled 12 large sacks with rubbish.

We chat to friends Pauline Shaw, 68 and Carol Seddon, 58, who are both standing in the pouring rain, BAG high-vis jackets on, with big smiles: “It just goes to show we’re not fair weather Wombles,” jokes Pauline.

Carol has been with BAG for approximately eight years, she said: “I work full time, I’ve got a family, so I’m quite busy, but I love doing this because I’ve met new friends and I enjoy making the area look better.

“I didn’t like coming out and going to work in the morning looking at loads of bags of rubbish everywhere, it was absolutely horrendous. So work like today is great.

“I take the example from my mum, because she’s 88 and she’s still out cleaning her step and taking pride in her home. If everyone did that, things would be a lot cleaner and tidier.

“It would be lovely to get more volunteers, because we are a good little group, actually, the group has turned into a family.”

These sentiments are shared by Karen Gillet, 59, who has been in BAG for the last nine years and previously volunteered helping tidy up the local canal areas, she said: “It makes a difference, you can see that when we finish for the day, you really can, and I get satisfaction from that, knowing we’re contributing to our community.

“I’ve lived in Bootle for 25 years and the litter issues have got worse, and you can put a lot of that down to the cuts in council funding. In that sense, we’ve come in to try to help rather than just leaving things.

“The best part is getting out in the fresh air, meeting people I would never have met, and the sense I’m doing something positive.”

Tony and Philip Jones are brothers and they’ve been busy cleaning up North Park, something they have been doing across Bootle almost since BAG started. Asked why he got involved in the group, Tony said: “I want to show my kids you can make a difference to your community, so they won’t come out throwing rubbish on the floor, and so they can see there’s a positive way of living.”

Philip added: “We help out in other parks in Walton and other areas, but we’re here to make Bootle better, and for us it’s great meeting up with people, because it is a tight-knit group.”

Last month, and following approval from His Majesty The King, it was announced that Bootle Action Group had been selected to receive The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS), also known as the MBE for volunteer groups. This is the highest award a voluntary organisation can receive and it is awarded for life.

The Award was created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and was previously known as the QAVS. The Award has been shining a light on the fantastic work of voluntary groups such as BAG for many years, and its members are delighted to be recognised.

Michael Brennan, 46, founded BAG in 2016 and wanted to create something that would bring the community together and make Bootle the best it can be. Responding to the news of the Kings Award, Mike said: “When we were interviewed by the Deputy Lieutenant for the King, what they wanted was not just somebody, a group that goes out and does litter picking, because there’s so many across the UK.

“It’s what’s different about your group, and I would say a lot of charities and local organisations are led by paid staff, whereas we’re completely unpaid voluntary.

“We do litter pick, but we also do other things. We look after Oxford Gardens, which is a kind of pocket park, and so it’s creating a nice, clean environment where people can go and feel safe. We’ve also transformed some alleyways into community gardens.

“The key to this is not just going along and doing the job, there’s got to be a legacy, and know that the community are then going to take ownership of what we’ve helped them create.”

He continued: “People will say to us, you know, isn’t that the council’s job? And that’s a fair point, but I also say, the council didn’t put the litter there. The vast majority of people don’t do that but some do and it’s a serious problem.

“We’re now helping other litter picking groups and these are also volunteers, these are the unrecognised people, who are doing it solely to try and better where they live, or if it’s just to help with them getting some exercise and good mental health.

“Bootle has got an absolutely amazing community, but I think in the last 10 years, it kind of fell to the wayside, and it’s just trying to get people out again and say, you know, we all live here, let’s go out and do some something positive, and provide something for the next generation.

“I’ve got children, and I want to create something better for them. I love living here, it’s been my home for the last 46 years, and it’s where I’ll stay, so we’re all here trying to make our community as nice as possible.”

Commenting on BAG’s selection for the Kings Award, a spokesperson for the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mark Blundell, said: “I think it would be fair to say that the group focuses on improving the environment of the area, encouraging local people to have pride in their local area through activities such as litter picking, raising funds to last trees, plants and flowerbeds.

“Areas have been improved socially and environmentally with cleaner streets, a decrease in anti-social behaviour and increased respect for the area and each other. The group has successfully managed to positively change attitudes and enabled community members to discover ways of helping each other.”