When good weather and green spaces collide, it often leads to littering — and that was certainly the case during our August clean-up of Leith, where we found a record 180 cans in just one session.
Our monthly Leith clean-up typically attracts between 20 and 40 volunteers, who are keen to sweep the paths and parks for rubbish while our flat-bottomed boat team clears debris from the basins. Many of these volunteers are regulars, familiar with the benches and hidden spots where litter tends to accumulate — but even for them, finding this many cans was a surprise.
Although 180 moments of convenience over conscience is disheartening, we take heart in the fact that this represents only a fraction of our community. The bigger picture tells a brighter story: our volunteering hours continue to climb year on year, showing more people are rolling up their sleeves to enhance and conserve the river and walkway.
The numbers tell the story
In the past three years, our volunteers have steadily increased their commitment across a variety of key tasks. From 2022/23 to 2024/25:
Clean-up hours have grown from around 1,350 hours to nearly 2,400 hours — a 77% increase.
Path maintenance has surged from 1,100 hours to over 2,200 hours.
Even more specialist work, such as Wildlife surveys and Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) control, has seen steady participation growth.
When we look further back, the Outdoor Volunteering Hours chart shows a remarkable rebound after the pandemic slowdown. Our WOLCT team has grown from just a few hundred hours in 2020/21 to over 5,000 hours in 2024/25, while corporate, community, and youth groups continue to contribute thousands of hours annually.
Looking ahead
We know litter-picking will remain a necessary part of our work for now, but with rising volunteer numbers and a community increasingly engaged in conservation, we can look forward to shifting more of our focus towards long-term enhancement projects.
Until then, we’ll be out there — setting an example, clearing the way, and proving that determined dedication can turn small actions into lasting change.