Help Keep Barry Clean

Would you like to make a difference in your local area?

Barry Town Council is proud to be a Keep Wales Tidy Litter Hub, providing free litter-picking equipment and organising regular community litter picks throughout the year.

Whether you are a resident, community group, school or business, there are lots of ways to get involved in litter picking across Barry.

By taking part, you can help improve local parks, beaches and green spaces while supporting a cleaner and healthier environment for everyone.

Join Barry’s Biggest Community Clean-Up, Big Barry Summer Clean 2026

This summer, Barry Town Council is inviting residents, community groups, schools and local businesses to take part in the Big Barry Summer Clean 2026.

The campaign brings people together to help keep Barry’s beaches, parks, streets and green spaces clean, green and welcoming for everyone. Whether you can spare an hour or take part as a team, every piece of litter collected makes a difference. Book your place at one of the litter picks here

Who Can Take Part?

Everyone is welcome, including:

• Local residents and families
• Schools and youth groups
• Community organisations and Sports clubs
• Local businesses and Companies looking for a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) volunteering opportunity

What Will Be Provided?

Barry Town Council can provide:

• Litter-picking grabbers
• High-visibility vests
• Litter bags
• Litter bag hoops
• Guidance on safe litter-picking practices

No previous experience is required, and volunteers of all ages are encouraged to get involved. Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult.

PLEASE NOTE: All volunteers need to bring their own Water bottles, Gloves and hand sanitiser.

A Successful Community Effort

The Big Barry Clean initiative has already shown what can be achieved when the community works together. Previous campaigns involved hundreds of volunteers, schools, community groups and local organisations, collecting well over 150 bags of litter and helping to improve local neighbourhoods and natural environments.

Groups taking part have included schools, sports clubs, youth groups and local volunteers, all helping to make Barry a cleaner and more attractive place to live, work and visit.

The Big Barry Summer Clean is an excellent opportunity for businesses to deliver their social responsibility goals while making a visible difference in the local community.

Benefits include:

• Team building in the outdoors
• Supporting local environmental projects
• Staff wellbeing and engagement
• Community partnership opportunities
• Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility

Groups of up to 40 people can borrow litter-picking equipment free of charge through Barry Town Council’s Keep Wales Tidy Litter Hub.

Get Involved

Residents and organisations can register for upcoming Big Barry Summer Clean events through Barry Town Council’s website and event booking system. Additional community litter pick dates are promoted throughout the summer on the Council’s website and social media channels.

Community Litter Picks

Barry Town Council organises regular litter-picking events throughout the year. Everyone is welcome to join.

Upcoming Events:

• Cemetery Approach – 14 August, 10:30am–11:30am (Part of the Big Barry Summer Clean)
• Pencoedtre Park – 14 August, 2:00pm–3:00pm Part of the Big Barry Summer Clean)
• Bendricks Beach – 4 October, 10:30am–11:30am
• Cemetery Approach – 18 October, 10:30am–11:30am

Residents can sign up through the Barry Town Council website and join others who care about keeping Barry clean and welcoming. PLEASE NOTE: All volunteers need to bring their own Water bottles, Gloves and hand sanitiser.

Organise Your Own Litter Pick – Perfect for Corporate Volunteering Days

Looking for a meaningful team-building activity or CSR project?

Barry Town Council can help businesses organise their own litter-picking events by providing equipment free of charge. The litter hub can support groups of up to 40 people, making it ideal for staff volunteering days, environmental projects and community engagement activities.

Organising a litter pick is a great way to:

• Give something back to the local community
• Support environmental sustainability
• Build teamwork and staff wellbeing
• Demonstrate your organisation’s social responsibility
• Help protect local wildlife and green spaces

This year alone, litter pickers using the service collected more than 150 bags of rubbish from local areas. PLEASE NOTE: All volunteers need to bring their own Water bottles, Gloves and hand sanitiser.

Free Equipment Available

Barry Town Council can provide:

• Adult and children’s litter-picking grabbers
• Adult and children’s high-visibility vests
• Red litter bags
• Litter bag hoops
• Guidance on where collected litter can be left for collection

All equipment is provided free of charge through the Keep Wales Tidy Litter Hub scheme. PLEASE NOTE: All volunteers need to bring their own Water bottles, Gloves and hand sanitiser.

How to Arrange a Litter Pick

To borrow equipment, simply contact Barry Town Council with:

• Your chosen date
• Collection and return dates for equipment
• Estimated number of participants
• Details of your organisation or group

Equipment loan forms, risk assessment templates and health and safety guidance are available. Completed forms can be emailed to: engagementandevents@barrytowncouncil.gov.uk

Who Does What? Understanding Your Local Councils

People often ask who is responsible for keeping Barry clean.

Barry Town Council?

Barry Town Council is the local town council for Barry. It supports community projects, organises volunteer litter picks, provides free litter-picking equipment through its Keep Wales Tidy Litter Hub, and works with residents, schools, community groups and businesses to help improve the local environment. The Council also organises community litter-picking events throughout the year.

Vale of Glamorgan Council?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is the area’s unitary authority and is responsible for delivering key public services across Barry and the wider Vale. This includes:

• Household waste collections
• Street cleansing
• Emptying litter bins
• Fly-tipping enforcement
• Collection of rubbish from organised litter picks

Need Rubbish Removed?

If you are organising your own litter pick, Barry Town Council can provide the equipment. However, arrangements for the collection of large amounts of litter or waste should be made with the Vale of Glamorgan Council, which is responsible for waste and street-cleaning services across the area.

Please contact the Vale of Glamorgan Council if you discover:

• Fly-tipping
• Large quantities of waste
• Dangerous items
• Full litter bins
• Street cleansing issues

Working Together for a Cleaner Barry

Keeping Barry clean is a shared effort.

Residents, schools, community groups and businesses help by taking part in litter picks.

Barry Town Council supports volunteers and provides equipment and organised events.

Vale of Glamorgan Council delivers waste collection and street-cleaning services and removes collected rubbish

The Big Barry Summer Clean is supported through partnership working between Barry Town Council, Keep Wales Tidy, Vale of Glamorgan Council and local community groups. Together, we can help protect our coastline, parks, streets and green spaces for future generations.

Get Involved Today

Whether you can spare an hour at a community litter pick or want to organise a company volunteering day, your support can make a real difference.

One hour, one bag, one team can make a real difference. Join a litter pick today and help keep Barry clean, green and welcoming for everyone

Download the forms below