Gill Thomas

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Green District Cllr 💚 Litter and Clean Environment Champion ♻️ Chair of Gloucestershire Resources & Waste Partnership Litter Working Group 🚯 Transition Stroud Director 🌿 Heavens Valley CBS Director 🌼 Professional Photographer - Mouse About Town 📸

My new Friday feature.👇⭐️🏆 Bin of the Week Awards 🏆⭐️This week's nominees are:🥇 The Acrobat – tipped over and having a ‘...
12/06/2026

My new Friday feature.👇

⭐️🏆 Bin of the Week Awards 🏆⭐️

This week's nominees are:

🥇 The Acrobat – tipped over and having a ‘litter’ lie down - we stood it back up.

🥈 The Jenga Tower – stacked beyond capacity - if one more bag is piled on, the whole lot might come crashing down - this has been reported.

🥉 The Gut Spiller – overflowing across the ground after one bag too many - this has been reported and a new bin requested.

🏅 The Imposter – a public bin transformed into someone's personal household waste collection service.

Congratulations. None of them won.

These bins smell awful and look disgusting. Unprocessed dog waste poses serious environmental health hazards, which is why I’m supporting ways to find a more sustainable solution.👇

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/strouds-scooper-heroes

💩 If a bin is full, take your dog poo home rather than adding to the St Bernard-sized mountain of 💩

❌ Don’t use public bins to dispose of private household waste.

💩 If you spot an overflowing bin, report it using the SDC website.👇

https://www.stroud.gov.uk/report-it/dog-bin-overflowing/

👏 A quick shout-out to crews who empty these bins and keep our public spaces tidy. Better bin provision, monitoring and data capture are constantly being reviewed by officers, but no amount of emptying can keep up if bins are misused or abused.

We can all be the eyes 👀 and ears👂on the ground by reporting issues, disposing of waste responsibly and lending a hand when it's safe to do so. Thanks to everyone who already do their bit to help.

Let's keep these award-winning bins off next week's shortlist. 🐾 🚮

On Sunday, Horsfall House held its annual charity walk – an important fundraiser for this award-winning, not-for-profit ...
09/06/2026

On Sunday, Horsfall House held its annual charity walk – an important fundraiser for this award-winning, not-for-profit nursing home, day centre and home care provider in Minchinhampton.

There was a fantastic turnout, and thankfully the weather played its part too! This year's event included a special focus on our four-legged friends, with Playschool For Dogs providing a shuttle service back to Minchinhampton from Avening.

It was great to see responsible dog ownership being promoted through free dog poo bags, handmade bandanas and dog treats, and I was grateful to be invited, not only to take photos with my Mouse About Town hat on, but also to promote Transition Stroud’s dog poo composting project.

The human participants weren't forgotten either, enjoying the beautiful scenery around Gatcombe Park and gardens at Avening Court, along with delicious homemade cakes and well-earned ice creams back at Horsfall House.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the event such a success – the volunteers, marshals, cake bakers and organisers who gave their time to support a wonderful local charity.

To make a donation or to become a Friend of Horsfall House, click the link below.👇

https://horsfallhouse.co.uk/get_involved/

Parliament 🇬🇧Today I had the opportunity to take the concerns of our communities directly to Westminster and the Deputy ...
08/06/2026

Parliament 🇬🇧

Today I had the opportunity to take the concerns of our communities directly to Westminster and the Deputy Director of DEFRA, discussing the Voluntary Code of Practice for Food on the Go and the growing challenge of litter enforcement across the country.

The meeting, facilitated by MP Simon Opher, was an opportunity to showcase the work we've been doing through the Gloucestershire Resources and Waste Partnership Litter Working Group and the Litter Code of Practice, an action led by Stroud District Green Party which subsequently informed MP Roz Savage's Written Parliamentary Question to Minister Mary Creagh. Together, it demonstrates growing support for change.

I highlighted the barriers councils face in enforcing existing legislation, drawing on evidence from local authorities across the country, endorsements from Surfers Against Sewage and my own work challenging takeaway licensing applications with Stroud District Council. I also pointed to DEFRA's 2017 Litter Strategy and questioned whether the current approach is delivering the results it promised, (it’s not.)

My message was clear: councils have a statutory duty to keep our streets clean, yet many of the responsibilities placed on businesses remain voluntary. The system is unbalanced.

Brilliant presentations by Eric Torrington from Litter Free, who outlined his vision for a strengthened Code of Practice, and Dr. Richard Cook from the University of Gloucestershire, who presented the FAST Litter Project and the opportunities it offers to improve evidence and policy. Together, we made a strong case for change.

Key outcomes:
✅ Positive discussions on reviewing and improving the Voluntary Code of Practice.
✅ DEFRA analysts interested in engaging with the FAST Litter Project.
✅ Further meeting planned before the summer recess.

Moving forwards, based on the evidence I saw today, there is more we need to do to challenge the role of DEFRA itself. Setting legislation is only part of the job; central government must also provide oversight, governance and practical support to help councils deliver it effectively. It seems policy is developed without a full understanding of the realities of local enforcement, creating unnecessary barriers instead of enabling action. Better collaboration, stronger guidance and the sharing of best practice would help ensure legislation works in practice, not just on paper.

A productive 30 minutes in Parliament and another important step towards securing stronger support for councils and cleaner communities.

It has been a busy week travelling across the district for Litter Pickers for Little Pickers. I’ve delivered 158 litter ...
07/06/2026

It has been a busy week travelling across the district for Litter Pickers for Little Pickers. I’ve delivered 158 litter pickers and 144 books, met Eco Councils, School Councils, Amberley's enthusiastic ‘Bin Team’, and even Slimbridge School's sensory dog, Holly!

I've enjoyed catching up with familiar faces at Nailsworth School and meeting plenty of new ones at Cranham.

Randwick School proved to be a hidden gem!

At Leonard Stanley School, headteacher Mr Millner, proudly showed me the outdoor pool looking very tempting in the sunshine! ☀️

The Rosary Catholic Primary School Stroud Eco Club were already out using their new litter pickers within hours of receiving them, and children from Amberley School couldn’t wait to show me where they were going to store the pickers.

Everywhere I've visited the equipment has been heading straight into playground sheds, alongside the lunchtime kit, ready for regular use.

Litter picking is one of the children's favourite activities at Slimbridge Primary School so it's fantastic to be able to support that enthusiasm. The school has also requested a litter picking station, making them the district's second Litter Champion Hub School, following St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Nympsfield.

After a week of assemblies, conversations and school visits, it has been genuinely heartening to see how much enthusiasm there is. It really feels like this project is going to make a lasting difference - and we’ve only just begun! 🥰

(Thank you for all the photo permissions.)

A lovely morning celebrating The Great Big Green Week with Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton, Minch CAN, Cllr Chloe Tu...
06/06/2026

A lovely morning celebrating The Great Big Green Week with Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton, Minch CAN, Cllr Chloe Turner and community groups including Minchinhampton’s Allotment Association and Repair Cafe.

Lots of brilliant local initiatives, all being driven by the goodwill of volunteers. Special thanks to Jennie for everything she does as the core Eco Church lead. Under her guidance, Holy Trinity has achieved not only its Eco Church Bronze Award, but more recently progressed toward its Silver Award.

I had fun taking part in the ‘Carbon Calculator’ Quiz - delighted to see my carbon footprint come in at a very respectable 3.4 tonnes - well below the average for the area, which stands at 11.5 tonnes.

Great also to take the opportunity to share some of the projects I’m currently supporting, including the Litter Champion Hub Scheme and Transition Stroud’s ‘Stroud’s Scooper Heroes’! 👇

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/strouds-scooper-heroes

Our waterways are some of our most valuable natural spaces, supporting wildlife, boosting our wellbeing and connecting u...
05/06/2026

Our waterways are some of our most valuable natural spaces, supporting wildlife, boosting our wellbeing and connecting us to nature. Protecting them benefits all of us.

Great fun to be back on the water last night with Discover Paddling and volunteers for the UK’s Big Paddle Clean Up with Paddle UK. 💦 It may be Volunteers’ Week, but volunteer litter picking happens every day of the year, thanks to the dedication of people who quietly give their time to care for the places they love.

Yesterday’s event was supported by The Cotswold Canals Trust Cotswold Canals Connected Ship Inn Community Enterprise - Spice Stroud District Council and Litter Free.

We collected 373 items in total, from the land and water, including 12 bags of dog poo, fishing paraphernalia and 16 fast-food containers. If it weren’t for the efforts of Cotswold Boatmobility and CCT length persons, the tally would have been much higher.

Disappointingly, littered dog waste remains a recurring problem along the tow path, (and lots of other places.) Much like our canal clean-up last September, I once again ended up with a burst bag of 💩 splashed across the front of my kayak.🤮

Unprocessed dog waste poses serious environmental problems - bags can break down, releasing waste and plastic. We only recovered a handful yesterday, but it was a reminder that if it's left behind, there's a good chance it will eventually end up in the water. The simplest solution is still the best one: take it home.

And if you're really keen to find a sustainable solution to disposing of dog 💩, you might like to consider making a pledge to Transition Stroud’s crowdfunder!!👇

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/strouds-scooper-heroes

At first glance, these litter picking stations look just like the ones we made last year, but there's a subtle differenc...
03/06/2026

At first glance, these litter picking stations look just like the ones we made last year, but there's a subtle difference - can you spot it?

Hint - look closely at the wording at the top of the sign - it reveals a little bit about their new home!

I had the pleasure of delivering the artwork to GL11 Community Hub earlier this week, where the Men’s Shed team have been hard at work building the frames. It was great to get a glimpse inside their workshop - a real treasure trove of tools, skills and creativity!

Fantastic to see this idea coming together after months of planning by everyone involved. Looking forward to the big reveal in a few weeks!

Join us tomorrow, Thursday 4th June, for a litter pick along the tow path. We’re supporting Discover Paddling, who will ...
03/06/2026

Join us tomorrow, Thursday 4th June, for a litter pick along the tow path. We’re supporting Discover Paddling, who will be picking from the water as part of The Big Paddle Clean Up 2026. This annual event encourages paddlers to remove plastic pollution and litter from uk waters.

https://paddleuk.org.uk/big-paddle-cleanup/

Meet at The Ship Inn Community Space, GL10 2AF at 6.15pm for a 6.30pm start. All equipment provided. This activity is fully risk assessed.

With Cotswold Canals Connected Ship Inn Community Enterprise - Spice and The Cotswold Canals Trust.

They say never work with children and animals…I disagree!! 🐶👧💚A fun afternoon meeting children, (and dogs!) from the Ros...
02/06/2026

They say never work with children and animals…I disagree!! 🐶👧💚

A fun afternoon meeting children, (and dogs!) from the Rosary Catholic Primary School Stroud and Slimbridge Primary School as deliveries of 1,400 litter pickers and 4,500 books begins!

Fantastic to see a year of prep, planing and fundraising finally come together. £13,300 raised for Litter Pickers for Little Pickers, enabling over 7,000 children to help look after their school grounds. Huge thanks to our amazing supporters. 🎉

45 schools in 3 weeks. Let’s do this! 💪🏿

With thanks to Read for Good and Picker Pals World for their generous book donations, and Wild Tribe Heroes - beautiful books!

I need to get myself a pair of waders! 💦🦆This afternoon’s clean up efforts resulted in very wet feet as we retrieved hor...
01/06/2026

I need to get myself a pair of waders! 💦🦆

This afternoon’s clean up efforts resulted in very wet feet as we retrieved horrible volumes of fly tipped waste dumped in a section of the river spanning 30m or more.

Among the rubbish was a heavy chair that someone had somehow found the time, energy and determination to drag all the way down to the riverbank before dumping it in the water. It took some effort to pull it out, drag it back along the tow path, sling it in the truck and then unload it by a bin for crews to pick up.

If you can carry it down there, you can take it to a recycling centre or dispose of it properly.

Also unbagged dog waste, kindly left for others to step in or wash into the river, sprayed yellow with non-toxic paint by a lengths person volunteer for The Cotswold Canals Trust to highlight the mess.

These separate, careless and inconsiderate acts demonstrate how quickly a local beauty spot can be turned into a dirty, grotty space that feels unloved. It’s moronic behaviour that demonstrates a real lack of respect for the environment. Sadly it’s becoming an all too familiar story across the country.

Spot a dirty street, fly tip, dog fouling incident or overflowing bin? You can report it using the link below. Incidents get logged, generating data to help inform things such as bin provision and wider targeted action. Stroud District Council

https://www.stroud.gov.uk/report-it/

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