Volunteers Undertake Litter Blitz on Horsenden Hill
Residents' group joins LAGER Can to clear over 60 sacks of rubbish
Nine volunteers tackled the flytipping at the local green space. Picture: LAGER Can
September 22, 2026
On a bright September morning, Horsenden Hill became the focus of a determined community effort as volunteers from the North Greenford Residents’ Association and the Litter Action Group for Ealing Residents (LAGER Can) joined forces to clear extensive flytipping across one of the borough’s most cherished green spaces.
The cleanup, arranged after local resident Dev Varsani contacted LAGER Can leader Cathy Swift, brought together nine volunteers who split into two teams and tackled heavily littered areas stretching from Horsenden Farm to Horsenden Lane North.
Dev describes the scale of the problem starkly: “By the time both groups had finished working, we had filled 60 sacks with rubbish and piled up many large items – including a fridge freezer – for collection by Ealing Council’s cleansing team.” The hedgerows and parkland along the lane had been repeatedly flytipped, with volunteers encountering everything from household waste to hazardous food remnants.
For Cathy, the cleanup highlighted a recurring issue: misreported flytips that delay council action. She explained that rubbish on parkland must be reported via the Love Clean Streets app or the council website as a Problem in a Park, ensuring it reaches the correct team. “I was disappointed to see a number of flytips in the hedgerows along the lane, as well as a dried-up pond literally full of rubbish… I checked the Love Clean Streets app to see if the flytips had been reported, and they had. On further investigation… I discovered that many had been misreported, causing a delay to their being collected.” Flytips on the lane itself, she added, require traffic management and can only be cleared by Street Services due to safety concerns.
Despite the frustration of seeing a beauty spot repeatedly blighted, volunteers found motivation in the impact of their work. Livio Birattoni, who helped organise the cleanup, said: “I can’t help getting frustrated and even angry when thoughtless people trash one of the most beautiful places in the borough, but the feeling of satisfaction – as well as refreshments at the incredible Horsenden Loaf – when we’ve finished a mega-cleanup make it all worthwhile.”
Ealing Council also praised the volunteers’ efforts. Councillor Dominic Moffitt, cabinet member for climate action, reiterated the borough’s stance: “Flytipping has no place in our borough, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who dumps waste illegally… We also want to thank LAGER Can, the North Greenford Residents' Association and all the volunteers who gave up their time to help clear Horsenden Hill.”
Over 60 bags of rubbish were collected at the end of the exercise. Picture: LAGER Can
The cleanup reflects the wider mission of LAGER Can, a Queen’s Award-winning group that recently achieved Registered Charity status. Founded in 2017, the organisation brings residents together to tackle littering and flytipping across Ealing’s parks, woodlands and open spaces. Cathy hopes more people will follow Dev’s example and get involved: “We would love to hear from any residents who, like Dev, would like to join us in making our borough cleaner and greener – it’s much more fun than you might think!”
With 60 sacks of rubbish removed and large items awaiting collection, the volunteers’ work has made an immediate difference to Horsenden Hill. But the message is clear: accurate reporting, community involvement and persistent care are essential to keeping Ealing’s green spaces clean, safe and welcoming.
For further information or to join future events, visit lagercan.co.uk.
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