On Friday 21 March 2025, hundreds of volunteers came together along the River Taff for the Taff Tidy ,a large-scale community river clean which stretched from Merthyr Vale to Cardiff Bay. As a Youth Climate Ambassador for Wales, I was proud to take part in an event that not only made a visible difference to our local environment but also reminded us of the power of collective action and habit making. This event was organised primarily by Kate strong and her partners but there were schools, organisations and corporate groups alongside us as well. At the end of the clean, we were all delighted to learn that we’d beaten the world record for most individuals cleaning one river with 1323 of us cleaning together. The River Taff is at the heart of South Wales a waterway that has witnessed the rise of industry, urbanisation, and now, the growing effects of climate change and pollution. Many of us were awareof the criseis effecting our local rivers but seeing the litter scattered along the banks, from plastic bottles to metal canisters, turned those statistics into something painfully real. Throughout the day, it became clear that the issue wasn’t just about litter it was about our relationship with the natural world. The rubbish we collected told a story of habits, consumption, and disconnection. We found items that you’d typically expect to see such as plastic bottles and crisp packets, but also toothbrushes, childrens toys and many rubber tyres. As we worked side by side, that story began to change as we picked through the rubbish revealing the natural riverbank. Each bag filled was celebrated as we kept on picking,aware that any stop would disqualify us from the world record attempt.
Picture of us with world record adjudicator if possible What struck me most was how something as simple as picking up litter could spark deeper conversations. We talked about plastic use, waste management, and how our rivers reflect wider environmental challenges across. I was fortunate enough to get the chance to speak to the press, clips which were later used for both english and welsh news programmes. As the YCA we got the chance to speak to the Guiness world record adjudicator who encouraged us to continue with our climate action
For me, the Taff Tidy wasn’t just a one-day event it was a call to rethink daily habits. Since then, I’ve been more conscious of how I dispose of waste, and I’ve encouraged my friends to cut down on single-use plastics. Collecting water samples which have now been tested in a proffesional lab reminded me that visible litter isn’t the only thing to consider, and that the importance of proper sewage managment is as important as ever.
By the end of the day, looking at the stretch of river we’d transformed, I felt proud. It wasn’t perfect and there’s still a lot we can do but it was proof that community led action works. Events like Taff Tidy remind us that young people dont have to just witnesses Climate Change but we’re participants, leaders, and changemakers too.