Four community groups join our fight against marine litter along the River Clyde
09 February 2021
We are delighted to welcome the support of four additional groups to our award-winning Upstream Battle campaign
Four new Anchor Groups are supporting the fight against marine litter in the Clyde Valley. The groups join forces with 15 existing Anchor Groups who have been supporting the Upstream Battle campaign for the last two years.
The new groups are:
- 86th Boys Brigade in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire
- Brighter Bothwell in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire
- Queens Cross Housing Association in Glasgow
- Darkwood Crew in Paisley, Renfrewshire
The Anchor Groups provide a key role in the campaign by carrying out regular litter surveys and litter picks along the River Clyde, or one of its tributaries, in their local area. This data is used the be used by us to provide a picture of the litter problem along the Clyde Valley, giving an understanding of how litter ends up in our waterways.
To enable them to do this, the groups will receive advice and support along with access to a bespoke version of the charity’s innovative climate emergency training.
The addition of four new Anchor Groups to the Upstream Battle campaign has been made possible thanks to funding from Crown Estate Scotland.
Campbell Gerrard, Senior Policy Manager at Crown Estate Scotland, said:
“Litter poses a real threat to marine wildlife, their habitats and to people’s enjoyment of the areas where they live and work. That's why it's great to have four new anchor groups involved in the campaign, helping prevent rubbish entering our seas and improving the health of the River Clyde and its catchment."
Heather McLaughlin, Campaigns Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, commented:
“We would like to thank the four new Anchor Groups for joining our battle against marine litter in the Clyde Valley. Their support and work allows us to develop a unique picture of the potential for litter to enter the River Clyde.
“Our recent report, Time for a new Approach to Tackling Litter, shows that we are heading towards a litter emergency, so the information our Anchor Groups provide for the River Clyde will ultimately allow us to better understand littering trends and behaviour, and how to tackle them.”
More information about each of the four new Anchor Groups, as well as the existing 15, can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/upstream-battle/citizen-science/anchor-groups/
