plogging

We’re out and pounding pavements right through the year in good weather and bad, and enjoy so much of the varied routes we run in and around the beautiful parks on the southside of Glasgow. Alas some routes are blighted with rubbish, and whilst some gets attention, many don’t, and accumulate enough that it winds up looking really quite awful. So earlier this year club member Jane Wild finally had enough, and decided to start doing something about it, and has been organising litter picks with fellow club members. After the first effort tackled the surrounds of Bellahouston park, this month a group of us tackled the stretch of Pollokshaws/Haggs/Dumbreck road from Netherauldhouse roundabout, all the way to Bellahouston park. Thanks to everybody who helped out or contributed to the effort, and to the many people we spoke to out and about our route. Everybody who took part found it far more enjoyable than I think we’d expected (a few competitive dashes for finds!), and we filled a good few bags along the way. Turns out too that picking up litter, and running, even has a name in Scandanavia where it’s known as Plogging (wikipedia too!). So we also plugged our plogging with a bit of coverage in The Evening Times. Thoroughly enjoyable way to give something back to the local community and area we’re based in, and we’re hoping to hit the roads again through the year. Give us a shout if you’d like to get involved, and if you’re not a runner why not check out the Friends of Pollok park, or the Friends of Bellahouston Park to get involved with their localised efforts to support and improve the local parks.