The Ripple Effect of Community Action: How the CleanupUK Hawkesley Hub Is Transforming Local Neighbourhoods
A single act of community action can create lasting change. That’s exactly what has happened at the CleanupUK Hawkesley Hub, where one successful litter pick sparked a growing movement of volunteers, partnerships, and cleaner local spaces across Birmingham.
This is the story of how one event created a ripple effect that continues to grow.
The Hawkesley Hub Launch Litter Pick
On Saturday 5th October 2024, the Hawkesley Hub officially launched with a large community litter pick that brought together residents, volunteers, and local organisations. Thirty volunteers turned out to help clear a neglected area underneath a canal access stairway and the surrounding streets. By the end of the morning, the group had collected an incredible 65 bags of litter.
The volunteers included friends and family of William Gay, Community Champion for Birmingham, members of the Friends of Kings Norton Nature Reserve litter-picking group, local residents who wanted to improve their neighbourhood and staff from the Canal & River Trust, who also provided a litter boat to transport the waste back to their depot in Edgbaston.
The event also received strong local support, with the local councillor and the Mayor of the West Midlands attending on the day.
“I am so glad all of William’s hard work paid off, a great start to the Hawkesley Hub! Thanks for putting together such a great event, the first of many!” Carmel Corrigan, Labour Councillor for Kings Norton North.
“Thank you [George Monck, CEO CleanupUK] for your thoughtful letter following the King’s Norton Canal Cleanup on October 5th. It was my pleasure to join you and the dedicated team of CleanupUK volunteers. Your organisation’s commitment to enhancing our environment through hands-on action makes a genuine difference across the community, and it was inspiring to see the enthusiasm and hard work of everyone involved.
I enjoyed the chance to connect with the volunteers and to witness firsthand the positive impact that such initiatives have in bringing people together for a common goal. Our conversation outside the coffee shop after the event was equally valuable.” Richard Parker, Mayor of the west Midlands.
“I was amazed at the turnout! We were really lucky with the weather, but honestly I never expected so many people to come. What was truly encouraging was that so many different parts of the community were represented.” William Gay, CleanupUK Community Champion for Birmingham.
From One Event to a Community Movement
What makes the Hawkesley Hub story so powerful isn’t just the success of the launch event, it’s what happened afterwards. Following the October litter pick, the Friends of Primrose Playground Residents Association reached out after seeing the positive impact of the Hub. With support from Hawkesley Hub, they have now organised and delivered three additional litter picks in and around their playground, which is just a five-minute walk from the Hub.
This is a perfect example of the ripple effect in action; one successful event inspired another group to take ownership of their own space and make a lasting difference in their community.
“It greatly helped us having your guidance and presence last year, which I hope can continue this year. You helped build some positive attitudes for the members of our group, which I will focus on growing this year, as more menbers will hopefully bring us greater engagement from within.” Szymon Dybowski Chair of Friends of Primrose Playground Resident’s Association.
“It was brilliant to build on the success of the October canalside litter pick so quickly and with a group so close to our Hawkesley Hub.” William Gay, CleanupUK Community Champion for Birmingham.
Expanding the Impact Across Birmingham
The ripple effect didn’t stop there. On 13th September 2025, another community canal litter pick took place in Selly, Birmingham. Once again, the Canal & River Trust supported the event and 13 volunteers came together to tackle litter along the canal – collecting an impressive 50 bags of rubbish. The location of this litter pick, directly opposite a University of Birmingham halls of residence, opened the door to something even bigger.
The event sparked the beginnings of a working relationship between CleanupUK and the university’s Community and Public Engagement team. The long-term goal is to support hundreds of university students to take part in local litter picks supported by community hubs.
“I really hope CleanupUK can start working with some of the students at the University of Birmingham. Selly Oak in particular, has thousands of students so I am hopeful we can work together on helping to make the environment everybody is proud of.” William Gay, CleanupUK Community Champion for Birmingham.
Building Partnerships That Create Long-Term Change
One of the key strengths of the Hawkesley Hub model is collaboration. Each litter pick brings together residents, community groups, and local organisations that share the same goal, cleaner, safer neighbourhoods.
During the Selly litter pick, another potential site was identified that would benefit from a multi-agency approach to tackling litter. This shows how each event doesn’t just solve one problem, it helps identify future opportunities to improve more areas across the city.
“Unfortunately, as a result of the (now) year long strike by Birmingham’s bin men, the city is covered in sites that need help. Only by engaging communities across the city can we realistically start to get things back to normal. I am delighted that Birmingham now has twelve CleanupUK hubs and that we have funding for at least two more by the end of 2026.” William Gay, CleanupUK Community Champion for Birmingham.
Litter picking isn’t just about removing rubbish, it’s about building stronger local communities, encouraging residents to take pride in their neighbourhood, creating safer and more welcoming public spaces and connecting new volunteer groups to get involved. The Hawkesley Hub story shows how one well-organised event can inspire ongoing action, new partnerships and long-term community impact.
The Ripple Effect Is Just Beginning
From 30 volunteers and 65 bags of litter in October 2024 to new resident-led litter picks, university partnerships and future multi-agency projects, the Hawkesley Hub has already made a significant difference in a short space of time, and this is only the beginning.
“Our hub at Hawkesley will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first I set up. I am super confident that it will continue to be a successful litter picking hub and that it will go onto help run many more community events in the future.” William Gay, CleanupUK Community Champion for Birmingham.
Want to Get Involved? If you’d like to support future litter picks, volunteer at the Hawkesley Hub, or help create cleaner communities in Birmingham, now is the perfect time to get involved.
Because one small action really can create a ripple effect.