Edd Hollier began his environmental journey collecting litter around the city of Chelmsford with his friends. After a short time carrying out city litter picks, the group came across a woodland area close to where they live in Chelmsford, which was desecrated with litter and debris.

The woodland area had been neglected for over nine years and, sensing the area’s huge potential due to its central city location, riverside tranquillity and unique terrain, Edd decided to set up a not-for-profit environmental initiative which he named Clean Up Chelmsford.

Speaking about his project, Edd said: “We set up Clean Up Chelmsford because we really saw a need to improve where we live. The streets were covered in litter and places of nature weren’t being respected in the way they should have been.”

Initial efforts included the set-up of Edd’s online community and fundraising page to drum up awareness of his plans. His volunteer pool quickly grew to around 60 locals who shared his vision and they set to work clearing bricks, scrap metal, barbed wire, galvanised fences and other debris from the waterside area, some of which was absorbing moisture from the soil or leaking harmful pollutants that have damaged the pH levels of the soil. This in turn has left a lack of variation in the types of plants that are able to grow in the area, namely thistles and nettles.

Praising the local efforts, Edd added: “Our volunteers are amazing. It was so easy to get like-minded people interested in what we’re doing because other people felt the same need as us.”

The woodland’s three-phase transformation began with a push to clear the area, and Edd’s keen team will soon move into the second and third phases, Restoration and Rejuvenation. A composter is currently being built as part of a long-term approach to aerate, fertilise and improve the soil, and plans are in place to add a riverside footpath and recycling bin.

Clean Up Chelmsford’s open call for volunteering includes not only fundraising and labour, but Edd has also put out requests for horticulturalists to get involved with the project, to help restore variation to the ecosystem.

Speaking about his long term vision for the woodland area, Edd said: “I see people from all over Chelmsford coming to this area for a picnic, families enjoying the area and children searching for insects and creepy crawlies and having that outside space to enjoy, like I had as a kid”.

The end goal of a beautiful and well-used clearing by the river will benefit not just the volunteers but the wider community, making Edd and his team feel proud of where they live.