IT might be rubbish to most people, but to a group of tidy-minded volunteers it is a source of pride.

The most street proud of people in Tavistock are delighted to boast of bagging 58 tonnes of rubbish over 15 years of scouring the green and concreted spaces of the town.

The Tidy Tavi group have notched up this haul in their monthly outings through the Meadows park, along the canal and along the town centre streets. The mini-army of hi-viz jacketed locals of all ages are a familiar sight on the first Saturday of each month, meeting outside Meadowland leisure centre armed with long-handled clawed tools and the proven toughest bin bags from Charlie Snell in the Pannier Market.

Long-term group organiser Jeff Moody remembers litter finds, including handcuffs, a steel (rather than tin) Coca Cola can, a ‘vintage’ dimpled glass Lucozade bottle and numerous plastic chairs dumped in the river. One picker was so messianic about litter in Morrisons car park, she complained enough to warrant a ban from the shop.

Long-term organiser Steve Hipsey said it was ironic in this context that the group used a dumped Morrisons trolley to transport their collected litter. The group hosted offenders on restorative justice programme and Steve remembers being asked by passers-by if he and other volunteers were also offenders on ASBOs.

He admitted to surreptitiously dropping rubbish from his pockets to give volunteer children ‘something to do’ when there was otherwise little rubbish: “I also take it as a personal, affront, when I see my newly-cleaned patch being polluted with more rubbish.”

Town mayor Cllr Anne Johnson thanked the group at an anniversary celebration in the mayor’s parlour on Thursday, October 22: “It’s really good to see so many people from 15 years ago still volunteering. Tidy Tavi has made a massive contribution towards keepingTavistock litter-free. They average about 30 bags of rubbish a time. It’s a great achievement for any voluntary organisation to keep going for 15 years.”

An artist's impression of 58 tonnes of rubbish, the equivalent of Tidy Tavi's 15 years' of accumulated collection.
An artist's impression of 58 tonnes of rubbish, the equivalent ofTidy Tavi's 15 years of rubbish collection. (Submitted)
Covid did not stop Tidy Tavi volunteers carrying out their duties clearing the streets and parks of dropped rubbish.
Covid did not stop Tidy Tavi volunteers carrying out their duties clearing the streets and parks. (Tidy Tavi )
Tidy Tavi volunteer even clean Tavistock's streets and parks at Christmas.
Tidy Tavi volunteer even clean Tavistock's streets and parks at Christmas. (Tidy Tavi )
Tidy Tavi volunteers get into Christmas spirit as they clear the streets and parks of litter.
Tidy Tavi volunteers get into Christmas spirit as they clear the streets and parks of litter. (Tidy Tavi )
Tidy Tavi volunteers are briefed on their duties before they nclear the streets and parks of litter.
Tidy Tavi volunteers are briefed on their duties before they get going. (Tidy Tavi )