GROUP: Pride in Pill have been involved with over 100 event projects managing waste disposal set up by residents living in the Pillgwenlly area of Newport.

The group formed just over three year’s ago with the help and commitment of Paul Murphy. Paul, along with another Pill resident, initially set out into the community petitioning against cuts to the bus service.

Along the way, however, they embarked on a bigger problem which was letting the community down. Pill was a mess with rubbish and fly tipping which, they believed, something needed to be done. From here on came the beginnings of community clean-ups in the area.

With the support of Newport City Council Street Scene team, Keep Wales Tidy, Newport City Homes, Fly-Tipping Action Wales, RSPB Cymru, Pride in Pill, Pobl Group, Solas Cymru and other residents living in the area, Pride in Pill was founded with funding provided through local sponsorship and Newport City Homes’ Environmental Fund.

Every two months a big clean up event is organised, whereby the streets are cleared of rubbish, flytipping, even the overgrowth from bushes and shrubberies. In between these periods, residents still make efforts to keep the streets clean, making Pill a better place to live.

Volunteers from the wider community turn up to help at these events, alongside organisations such as the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Fly Tipping Action Wales, Melin Homes, Krystal Services and many more, who have helped to make these clean up days a huge success. 

Paul Murphy said, “It would be great for more people to become involved in Pride in Pill and help with the clean up days so that they can realise the negative impact that so much rubbish and fly tipping can have on a community. It would be nice knowing that by getting involved, people would also realise how important it is not to litter the streets and not to fly tip. There is a lot of history in Pill and we want to keep it clean making it a nice place to visit, we hope that other people will want to do the same and start respecting the community that they live in more. When people do get involved with their community they can also earn time credits, which rewards them for their time. Pride in Pill have won a number of awards, and the MBE queens award, and the group is hoping to get a new park for the kids as they are waiting on the land by Newport Council.”

In July this year Pride in Pill was getting involved with gardening work for the community and on Thursday the group was down Barry Island doing a clean up on the beach. There was over 15 bags of rubbish in under 5 hours so we will be doing a Christmas party this year to say a big thank you to all the volunteers and the community of Pill.

The next big clean-up event will be held on August 16 meeting at the Pillgwenlly Millennium Centre at 10am. They are also happy to provide help and advice to other communities who wish to organise litter picks or similar events. 

Here is a list of  Pride in Pill upcoming events: 

  • Tuesday August 8: Action day in Pill at noon. 
  • Wednesday  August 16:  Pride in Pill.
  • Monday August 28: Pill Carnival. 
  • Wednesday October 11: Pride in Pill.
  • Wednesday December 6:  Annual general meeting.
  • Wednesday December  13: Pride in Pill.
  • Saturday December 9: Pride in Pill Christmas party.

I like to say thank you for all the support over the the 3 years and without the volunteers you would not have pride in pill.

If you would like to get involved with Pride in Pill phone Paul Murphy on 077755449683 or search Pride in Pill on the Facebook or Twitter.            

(Paul Murphy)