A year at CleanupUK

Christmas is a time of joy for many of us across the country, and a time of pause. As we get ready to close for the festive period, our CEO George Monck reflects on what 2022 has meant for us as a charity and the opportunities for us in the New Year.

A huge achievement for us in 2022 was the launch of our national Cleanup Hubs, which form part of our country-wide approach to make litter picking equipment as accessible as possible to local people. Through collaboration and collective action, these organisations, including youth centres, Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), city farms, and local mental health charities, are helping foster a sense of community pride in otherwise challenging times, and we thank them for their support. This year, we also grew our team, and had great fun doing corporate litter picking sessions with organisations like Earth Animal, EY, and Artemis. We also took the time to collaborate and re-evaluate the kind of organisation we are and where we want to be. This year, as we turned 15, we worked with a brand consultant to help re-align our positioning to better reflect the charity we have become. We have also been working, behind the scenes, on a new visual identity and website, which we’re excited to be sharing in 2023.  

2022 also felt like the year we returned to some sense of normality. The pandemic and subsequent two years have also been challenging for us and our community. Social distancing and personal anxieties meant that many individuals and community groups were isolated from one another – unable to make the connections they so often cherished through litter picking. We were delighted to see so many groups come together once more and create cleaner, more connected communities through the act of litter picking. Through litter picking, you not only build stronger and safer neighbourhoods -  you also act as guardians of the environment which recent years have highlighted as being more important than ever. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has worked with us, supported us and litter-picked in your local community this year. In 2023, we hope to expand our work with community hubs and encourage more people to head out into the world with their litter-pickers. Until then, Merry Christmas and a very happy and clean New Year from all of us at CleanupUK.

George Monck, CEO