A conservation event with the backing of high profile campaigners, business leaders and a celebrity saw over a hundred people turn out for an afternoon of litter picking in Derby.
The Big Derby Clean Up event took place on March 20, 2024.
People gathered at the Museum of Making to clean up River Derwent of thousands of items of discarded plastic left littering its banks following the flooding caused by Storm Babet.
In the crowd was a familiar face and household name Max McMurdo.
The eco-designer who can be seen on Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces and BBC’s Dragon’s Den was helping out on the day.
Speaking exclusively to Derby World, Max described the event as ‘reassuring yet heartbreaking.’
Reflecting on the numerous bags of litter that had been picked up, he said: “We shouldn’t really have to be here. It would be nice if everyone had the education to not litter and not fill our rivers with plastic waste.
“But over 100 people have come today which is phenomenal and reassuring that the next generation, younger people, they’ve really understood climate change.
“They don’t like to see plastic pollution in our rivers, seas and oceans. It really is quite reassuring and heartbreaking at the same time.”
The event was jointly organised by the University of Derby, Derby College and Think Ocean.
The Derby-based community interest company is campaigning to raise awareness of the damage being done to the marine environment by the millions of tonnes of discarded plastic that ends up in the sea each year.
People who took part in the litter pick, alongside Specialist Pathways students from the university and college, were business leaders, tutors and sustainability champions.
Liz Thompson, Environment and Sustainability Manager at the University of Derby was spearheading the university’s efforts on the day.
She said: “We’re looking to clean up the city of Derby. It’s all part of our Go Green Week.”
An upcycling session followed the litter pick that was organised by the university.
While the event was designed to clean up the river, Think Ocean worked hard to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the wider community.
Hugo Valdes-Vega said: “As a community, we recognise the urgency of addressing river plastic pollution, especially following the aftermath of Storm Babet, which serves as a stark reminder of the scale of the problem.
“We won’t be able to collect everything and we know this is just a small part of a global problem, but we’re very pleased to be teaming up with the University of Derby and Derby College and are grateful that so many people took part in the Big Derby Clean-Up.”
1. Derby students volunteered their time on the rainy day
The busy day saw crowds of students eager to help make their city a tidy and great place to be | Ria Ghei Photo: Ria Ghei
2. Litter pickers at The Big Derby Clean Up 2024
People donned high-vis jackets and spent the afternoon collecting discarded rubbish in the city | Ria Ghei Photo: Ria Ghei
3. Darcey (left) and Rose (right) were some of the students who worked hard on the day
People started congregating from early afternoon, and despite the constant rain, spent hours litter picking | Ria Ghei Photo: Ria Ghei
4. Liz Thompson is Environment and Sustainability Manager at the University of Derby
The event was supported by the city's educational institutions, here is Liz Thompson from the University of Derby | Ria Ghei Photo: Ria Ghei