Our litter pick sees friendship flourish in Waltham Abbey

Among the community-conscious volunteers here at Ashbrook Court Care Home, on Sewardstone Road, are residents Robin Carter, 70 and Peter Bartoszuk, 81, who’ve bonded over a shared love of nature and giving back to their local area.

“I like litter picking and giving back to the community,” said Robin who moved into our home 11 months ago. “We always fill a couple of bags. It’s not easy work because it’s a lot of bending over, but we don’t do it for the thanks, we do it because we enjoy it. It’s nice to be at the home and to make new friends.”

Peter has been with us for over two years and previously worked as a fisherman. He has travelled the world and loves to be in nature. “Litter is something that just annoys me,” he said, “It doesn’t take much trouble for us to throw a little in the bin to keep the park clean, and I always feel better for having done it.”

Our lifestyle coordinator, Lorna Morey has seen Peter and Robin’s friendship grow during the project. “Peter and Robin have become really pally in the last couple of months, which is so lovely to see,” she said. “They have a lot in common as they both love birdwatching and nature. Peter is a complete free spirit and Robin loves wildlife. They are both very much about pulling together and making things right.

“This litter pick project gives the gents, and our other volunteers, a real sense of achievement and satisfaction, they know they’ve made a contribution to the town. As we go we all enjoy chatting with locals in the park, they usually stop to thank us or to have a chat. They’re very respectful and always show their appreciation. Sometimes they shake our hands and sometimes they joke that we’ve missed a bit!”

The idea to start litter picking came from the residents themselves.

“We always go to the Waltham Abbey Gardens and the Gunpowder Mills, for a walk and to feed the ducks, or for a picnic when the weather is nice,” Lorna explained. “During one of our visits back in June, the residents were saying, “Isn’t it terrible that there’s rubbish around when there are bins here? We could help.” And the idea grew from there.

“We have a ‘Friends of Ashbrook’ initiative, which focuses on relationship-building with clubs, businesses and the community. It’s really important to us because it ensures our residents maintain important connections outside of the home. So we reached out to Lee Valley who owns the park to say we’d like to help and they were so pleased. We purchased the litter picking gear and we’ve been heading out once a month ever since. There’s usually a small group of us and we use the home’s minibus to travel. The residents still want to go in all weathers – they are very dedicated, and we’re really proud of them for wanting to make a difference.”

A 2024 study published in BMC Public Health found that older people who volunteer tend to experience lower levels of loneliness, especially if they volunteer over long periods. The same study linked volunteering to a “sense of purpose, belonging, and meaning … as they feel valued and appreciated.”

Lee Valley now gives us free use of the car park, and our residents are looking forward to attending their wildlife and birdwatching talks in the spring. Peter is even keen to host his own volunteer talk with them.

Jessica Whitehead, volunteers officer at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority said: “We are grateful for the help of the residents of Ashbrook Court Care Home who litter pick around Waltham Abbey Gardens. Volunteers are vital in maintaining Lee Valley Regional Park as a pleasant and safe place to visit as well as a haven for wildlife.”

The litter picking outings have become a much-loved social occasion and the afternoon ends with lunch out, which is usually a well-earned drink with pie and mash.

Ashbrook Court has 70 bedrooms and offers residential, nursing and specialist dementia care. Our dedicated team pride themselves on supporting our residents to continue enjoying hobbies and to live meaningful, purposeful lives.