Tollcross Community Celebrates Launch of New Litter Picking Hub

Published: 12 June 2023

Tollcross today (June 12th) became the 88th location for a new litter picking hub filled with equipment for community clean-ups.

A growing network of litter picking hubs is being installed across the city with the new Tollcross facility becoming the first in the East End.

The new hub is located at Tollcross Advice and Learning Centre and local people can borrow the equipment by contacting the centre in Braidfauld Street.

Pupils from St Paul's (Shettleston) Primary School and Wellshot Primary helped launch the new hub which was funded by the council's local area partnership in response to a request from local residents. Members of Auchenshuggle & Tollcross Community Council, Tollcross Housing Association, Tollcross Community Trust, Tollcross Co-op and Funeralcare also joined the litter pick which was led by the council's Neighbourhood Improvement Team. The council also provided all the hub equipment including litter pickers, bags, gloves and hi-vis vests.

The Tollcross hub is among the first to carry a new QR code which enables people to scan it and log the amount and types of litter they have collected as well as highlighting any hotspots sites.

The council will use this data to target its staff and resources to tackle specific problems identified in the community.
An annual Tidy Tollcross Together event already receives good support from the local community and the new hub will make it easier for people to access equipment to carry out more events.

Around 35 people of all ages attended the Tollcross hub launch and collected dozens of bags of litter from surrounding streets.

Ellen Stewart, Secretary of Auchenshuggle & Tollcross Community Council, said: "We are really pleased to have the litter picking hub installed and hope that local people take advantage of the equipment. It's in an easily accessible location - all people have to do, is ask to use it at the advice centre.

"We hope that, as more residents/groups in the area learn of this facility, more of them will use it and we can really Tidy Tollcross Together."

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Glasgow's Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets said: "It is great to see new litter picking hubs being installed in more communities across the city where people can take advantage of the equipment to help tidy their neighbourhoods. I know there are many people who take great pride in the areas where they live and do regular litter picks.

"It is fantastic to see Tollcross schools, businesses, the local housing association and members of the community joining forces with our Neighbourhood Improvement Team to tackle litter and improve their local environment."

Keep Scotland Beautiful recently praised Glasgow, its brilliant Neighbourhood Improvement Volunteers (NIVs), residents, schools and businesses for taking part in over 500 community litter picks during Spring Clean Scotland 2023.

The city's NIVs helped Glasgow clinch the title by staging clean-ups in their neighbourhoods supported by the council who supplied the equipment and removed the bags of collected rubbish.

An online interactive map pinpoints the locations of all the community litter picking hubs and explains how to borrow the equipment. You can find your nearest litter picking hub by clicking on Map.