Named after the tidy-minded creatures of Wimbledon Common, the Corby Wombles are a local volunteer group with a simple mission: pick up litter, protect the town’s green spaces, and bring neighbours together while doing it.
The group has grown into one of the biggest of its kind in the county, with a dedicated team of more than 700 members. They come from all walks of life, old and young, people born and raised in Corby alongside those who’ve only recently moved here, all united by the same instinct: if you see litter, pick it up.
Their events range from small, informal picks to large organised clean-ups. One of their best-known efforts saw volunteers clear an area near Morrisons, collecting 133 bags of rubbish in a single 12-hour session, a reminder of just how much litter accumulates in hedges, verges, and ditches when nobody’s looking.
The Corby Wombles have had real support from the local community as they’ve grown. Great Oakley Estate donated 500 high-visibility vests to the group, part of the estate’s own Corby Clean and Proud campaign, launched in 2018 to address rising litter levels in the area. More recently, MPB Structures donated £1,000 towards signage to help the group’s work stand out and stick.
What keeps a group like this going isn’t council funding or formal structure. It’s community spirit: people who’ve decided that the state of their local streets and green spaces is worth an hour of their weekend. If you’ve ever walked past a park or verge and thought someone should do something about that, the Corby Wombles are proof that someone did.
Want to help around your community? http://facebook.com/groups/214469803725061
