Just helping out as and when...

IT wasn't Wimbledom Common but today, as a family, we played at being Wombles and volunteered to take part in National Clean-Up Australia Day.

We were a little late due to UK Skype commitments but turned up all eager and keen to collect any litter from around our local area.

If I say it was hard going, you'd think the work we were undertaking was difficult. Yes, it was difficult. To find litter round here you really have to look for it. All I could manage to find for my oversized hessian sack was about 150 cigarette ends, 47 bottle tops, a couple of crisp bags and the odd used teabag.

The children got stuck in and treated is a treasure hunt. Husband on the other hand was more concerned about whether passers-by thought we'd been put on a programme of community service.

After telling one UK friend what our plans for the day entailed he scoffed, saying "You never did that here...!"

Tis true. But if I'm encouraged to do something good I'll get right on in there and do it. Maybe this is something councils over there could take on board.
By putting out a little advance publicity and sticking a "volunteers needed" sandwich board out on the side of a road, anyone with any spare time and spare inclination will muster up the enthusiasm to get involved.

In my experience, if you're not asked to do something, most times it doesn't get done...