A volunteer-led environmental group working across Ealing said its members donated more than 16,000 hours of their time in 2025, which it estimates is equivalent to the work of nine full-time employees.
LAGER Can said that if the work had been paid for, it would have cost Ealing Council about £300,000 over the year, according to its newly published annual review.
The group said its volunteers collected the equivalent of about 30,000 bags of waste from parks, streets, waterways and other public spaces across the borough. It said hundreds of active members also took part in 271 organised clean-up events during the year, working through 13 local area litter-picking groups.
Between June and December 2025, volunteers reported 754 fly-tipping incidents. LAGER Can also worked with Ealing Council on trials aimed at improving fly-tipping enforcement and prevention, including a scheme that marks dumped waste before collection to discourage repeat offences.
Cathy Swift, chair of LAGER Can, said: “I am incredibly grateful for the energy, enthusiasm and hard work of our members. Being outdoors doing something worthwhile is beneficial for our physical and mental health.”
Ealing Council said the partnership had supported enforcement activity and environmental improvements. Councillor Paul Driscoll, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, said: “Our partnership with LAGER Can is a powerful example of what can be achieved when dedicated community volunteers and the council work side by side.”
In addition to litter-picking, the group supported local schools, youth organisations and community events, and supervised 85 Duke of Edinburgh Award students during 2025.
