Barry 2 Bristol and back: one man and his litter picker

Local TV

Paul was made homeless a few years ago, but he’s done everything possible to make the most of his situation. He’s started a charity, helped other homeless people and spent countless hours tidying Cardiff’s streets. He’s now embarking on his biggest journey yet as he prepares a solo litter-pick from Barry all the way to Bristol and back.

Transcript

00:00100 mile walk, no food, no accommodation, just relying on the kindness of others for

00:07a full two weeks while also picking up rubbish along the way.

00:11Not everyone will be up for something like that, but exactly what Paul Batters is doing

00:15later on this month when he's Barry to Bristol and back Littlepick to raise awareness for

00:20the homeless, keeping our natural spaces tidy, and as a way of connecting back to nature.

00:24I'll be walking on my own, 100 miles from the sea in Barry to Bristol and then back to

00:33Cardiff with no money, no food, and no accommodation to highlight the plight of homeless people.

00:41But I'll also be picking up litter all the way, every step.

00:47I'm doing this basically because I became homeless and I lost businesses and houses and things

00:52like that. But I also run a charity now called the Wombles of Wales, who are homeless litter

00:59pickers. But we don't just pick up litter, we pick up lives.

01:04Paul says he's been in the pipeline for some time and he's excited to finally be ready to

01:08set off soon. After being made homeless a few years ago, he says that finding a purpose

01:13is important to people and he certainly has found his purpose with his charity.

01:17So, the Wombles of Wales are a charity that allows people to, from all walks of life, all

01:26ages, all abilities, to get back to nature, to look after it and allow nature to look after

01:32them. But there are millions of people on the planet out there every single day who are frightened,

01:41alone, cold, wet and hungry. And if I'm running a charity that helps these people, then I need

01:54to experience it for myself.

01:56Although it's a solo trip up and down the 7 Estuary, he may not spend any time by himself.

02:01People are being encouraged to get involved wherever they can, whether it's coming along

02:05for a mile or so and sharing some time, some food or donations.

02:09What we're saying is you don't have to walk the 100 miles from Barry to Bristol with me.

02:15You can just, the message is walk a mile and share a smile and that's all we want people

02:21to do. Donations are amazing and it really helps us and it is going to help our charity

02:27to survive. However, we'd rather people just get involved, go out into nature, pick up some

02:35single use plastics, look after it but also let it look after you as well. On your way,

02:45make some people smile. Just make a stranger smile. Do something that makes you feel good,

02:51that makes them feel good and that has a ripple effect that's unquantifiable.

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