Foraging for Health - Cleaning Up Hastings with CleanupUK

Join Craig's Cabin Community Volunteers in Hastings to promote mental health and litter-picking. Learn about the personal journey of founder Craig and how litter-picking improves the local environment. Discover how to get involved and make a difference today.
 

As part of our Community Partnership’s work here at CleanupUK, we have set up a Community Cleanup Hub with Hastings Voluntary Action: Hastings Voluntary Action

This week, we would like to spotlight the work of Craig of Craig’s Cabin Community Volunteers, a local community group that borrows the litter-picking kit from the HVA Cleanup Hub every month to clean up their local park.

Discovering the benefits of volunteering

Craig has been a carer for his partner whilst bringing up their 3 kids for the last 15 years. He had been busy looking after his family when he came to his lowest point. He had been neglecting himself and felt depressed. So, after some bad decisions, Craig took the brave decision to reach out for help. Someone suggested to him that he might benefit from volunteering. Which he found to be the start of a whole new journey!

Promoting positive health and wellbeing

Craig and a few other like-minded volunteers decided to set up Craig’s Cabin, a non-profit organsation, promoting positive health and well-being through participation in outdoor activities. They have had many achievements, including helping with a community garden through HVA and with blessings from local councillors and housing association helping turn a local forgotten pocket park into a sensory garden and well-being hub for locals to enjoy.

During the pandemic, Craig had become really interested in foraging and has now even written books on the subject:

  1. Craig’s Cabin Foraging Field Guide: A self taught guide to foraging eBook : Beeney, Craig: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
  2. Craig’s Cabin Foraged Recipes: quick and easy recipes using some foraged ingredients eBook : Beeney, Craig: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

He also had the brilliant idea of starting up a foraging well-being walk every week for people to help them get back to nature and improve their mental and physical health.

Craig has also worked with the local branch of Mind to set up a night-time men’s mental health walk that meets twice a month. Encouraging men to have a chat with each other, as well as take some exercise.

Craig's CabinCraig's Cabin

Joining the Community Cleanup Hub

This year, Craig has started using the kit at our Community Cleanup Hub, hosted by Hastings Voluntary Action. He now leads local litter picks every first Tuesday of the month in Alexandra Park.

We asked Craig about how litter-picking makes him feel and he said:

litter-picking, makes me feel like I am doing something for my community as well as for myself….. being outside getting exercise for my mental and physical health is great

We asked if Craig had found any unexpected benefits to the litter-picking:

Yes! Sometimes people come up and thank us for cleaning up, whilst we are out there in our high vis – they are often the ones who have dropped the litter in the first place! 

Craig and his Cabin Volunteers have had a positive effect on their local environment in many ways:

 the park is noticeably cleaner after our events, cleaning up an area makes it feel safer, like there is less likelihood of antisocial behaviors like drug dealing and fighting

Craig tells us that he is sure of the benefits he has personally experienced through litter-picking as well as those he sees for his community:

It’s great getting people to take pride in their community, like they used to and take responsibility for their area. It makes them proud that they live there…The neighborhood  is not just cleaner for the litter pickers, but for their family and friends too

Craig has a lovely laid-back demeanour and it is clear from chatting with him that, despite all his achievements, he is a very modest type of guy. We think he is amazing and totally inspirational, and he should be very proud of what he has achieved!

If you’re in Hastings and fancy joining one of Craig’s Cabin’s litter picks, get in touch:

You can also check out the Craig’s Cabin YouTube channel or find them on social media:

 

If you are feeling inspired and would like to borrow some litter-picking equipment, you can find out if there’s a Community Cleanup Hub near you by clinking on this link: Community Hubs – CleanupUK

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