Welcome to LitterPick.UK. Well, I say 'welcome', but it's really a case of hard hats on, safety boots, and mind the trip hazards as this is very much still a building site of a website. It's taken me vastly longer to get here than I would have liked, but things like work and life sometimes get in the way of making progress on "side" projects, which this is.

I'm a semi-retired IT professional, and (very much) a part-time solo litter picker. The above mentioned 'life' prevents me doing more litter picking. I'm very much aware that there are pickers out there for whom litter-picking is a way of life, and they have both my gratitude and admiration in equal amounts. However none of us should need to give up our time - part of our lives - to clear up other people's mess.

So what's this site about, really? Well, as a web developer and as someone interested in antique street furniture, I'd become aware of both the possibilities and the power of geographic mapping of data. I'd signed up to various sites to record my litter picks, but none allowed me to see even my own efforts in anything other than a bland list, let alone see how others were helping on "my patch". Then on one of the Facebook groups, a couple of people shared a Google Maps work showing hundreds of pickers and picking groups. It received a vast amount of interest, and I was hugely motivated to visualise just how many people are taking the litter problem - literally - into their own hands. Yet that solution was thin on data - generally no contact details for groups, no means to communicate and share ideas and group picks, and no way to measure the impact of what all these people were doing. I knew we could do more. So I had the idea to build something that would map people, groups, events and litter. And for events, even bring in the additional dimension of time - I had a vision of seeing "waves" of litter picking sweeping across the country in response to national and regional events.

But that wasn't really enough - there has to be a reason to collect and display all this data. So here are just some of the reasons I hope people will use this site, in no particular order - what's important to one person may not be to another!

• Collection and reporting of statistics. There are sites out there that collect the data, but don't make it readily available to everyone. What I hope we can do eventually is provide simple tools so that anyone - from curious individuals, to national bodies, to local groups - can extract statistics on the litter problem - and what volunteers are doing to deal with it. We can use that data to inform our plans, to lobby local and national government, and to highlight the massive efforts that independent volunteers put in.
• Boost morale. While litter picking can be hugely satisfying, it can also be heart-crushingly frustrating. Solo pickers in particular can feel like they're the "last ones standing", so seeing - in graphical form as well as stats - what those around them are achieving can be a real boost. The aim is to make a positive difference to pickers, so we'll be running "good news" stories, updated and hand-picked regularly.
• Provide connections. Groups can advertise their scope and events, and solo pickers can link up with others in their neighbourhood and - if they wish - grow into groups. All this on a safe platform where users are in control of what notifications they get, and won't be swamped or spammed with messages. This isn't a "social media" platform, but it is a way to link up with like-minded people. As part of this, groups will automatically get their own website link that they can share, at zero cost, in printed and other materials. For example a group called "Anytown Wombles" will automatically get a URL of anytownwombles.litterpick.uk whose homepage will feature the group's logo, information and contact details - and the whole site can even be customised to use the group's colour scheme and fonts. This might seem a purely "cosmetic" thing, but it allows local groups to direct their Councillors, supporters and local businesses to a fully-fledged site that looks like it's their very own - adding "weight" and "authority" to the messaging.
• Share information. We'll be gradually building up lots of information and best practice for solo pickers and groups alike, covering issues like equipment, insurance, health & safety, disposal and recycling and - anything else our members want! I very much hope this site will be driven by members, so if there's something you'd like to see, do please contact me.