Building a Sustainable Wales together
We have a collective vision of a beautiful Wales cared for and enjoyed by everyone.
Three years ago, we launched Beautiful Wales, our ambitious strategy for the decade.
Launched in a pandemic, and undaunted by the mountain we had to climb, we set about sowing the seeds of change. Today, we’re seeing the results. Projects have flourished. Partnerships have deepened. And what started as a strategy is fast becoming a national movement – driven by communities, powered by volunteers, and grounded in a shared belief that a cleaner, greener, fairer Wales is both essential and achievable.
Our achievements to date are a true testament to the power of collective action, from record-breaking clean-up events to the creation of thousands of new green spaces across the country. These successes are the result of collaboration at every level, showing what’s possible when we come together with purpose.
Through our flagship Local Places for Nature programme, we’ve supported the creation of new community gardens — from edible plots and outdoor classrooms to pollinator-friendly havens — putting nature back into the heart of our communities and making Welsh towns and cities healthier, happier places to live.
At the same time, Eco-Schools has marked a historic milestone. As the programme celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024, Wales became the first country in the world to meet UNESCO’s Green Education Partnership target, with half of our schools now holding environmental accreditation. That’s an achievement every pupil, teacher and supporter should be proud of.
Meanwhile, Wales continues to lead internationally in recognising and rewarding high-quality green spaces. We are seeing a growing number of parks flying the prestigious Green Flag Award, including a record number of community-led sites this past year — a real sign of pride and ownership at the grassroots level.
But we are also reminded of the scale of the challenge still ahead.
The wider context in which we operate is increasingly difficult. Despite all the good work being done, our most recent LEAMS street survey revealed a worrying trend: more than a third of our urban areas continue to suffer from unacceptable levels of litter, and the number of streets graded D – the lowest possible cleanliness rating – has surged by 286%. The data paints a clear picture: our systems are under pressure, and without long-term solutions, we risk falling further behind.
Keep Wales Tidy continues to live up to our commitment to tackling litter and waste, with 247 active Litter Picking Hubs across Wales and tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers making a difference in their communities every day. And let’s not forget, we’re now official Guinness World Record holders for the biggest ever river clean-up (at multiple locations).
Fortunately, we’re starting to see signs of policy change on the horizon. The forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme, which includes glass and prioritises reuse, marks a significant step forward. Alongside Extended Producer Responsibility, we now have the foundations in place for a meaningful shift in how Wales tackles waste. We welcome the ambition and leadership shown by Welsh Government, but this must be backed by long-term commitment and the resources to match.
The scale of the challenge demands more than piecemeal interventions. We’re dealing with systemic problems, and they need systemic solutions. That means coming together – government, businesses, schools, communities and the third sector – to rethink how we care for our public spaces and natural environment. Collaboration is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential in a world where budgets are tight and mounting pressures are already visible on our streets.
To everyone who’s played a part in this journey so far: thank you. Your work matters, and the impact you’ve had in communities across Wales is both real and valued. As we look ahead to year four of Beautiful Wales, we do so with renewed determination, deeper partnerships, and a clear sense of purpose.
Let’s keep going. Together, we can ensurea Beautiful Wales for generations to come.
Owen Derbyshire
CEO, Keep Wales Tidy
Keep Wales Tidy is committed to working with local communities across Wales to protect our environment now and for the future. We have a collective vision of a beautiful Wales cared for and enjoyed by everyone.
Working with Welsh Government, local authority partners and community based volunteers we continue to deliver programmes that reach everyone in Wales.
Practically, we know that good quality environments matter to people and that the benefits can make a real difference to our health, well-being, communities and to our economy.
Above all we listen to the people of Wales, our partners and our volunteers about how they see the beautiful Wales of the future.
Little Retreats
Youth Climate Ambassador for Wales
Keep Wales Tidy will continue to work for the protection and promotion of Wales' natural environment. Providing spaces that feel safe, clean and green for ALL the communities of Wales and for future generations
Under the Caru Cymru banner, Keep Wales Tidy will undertake campaigns and activities to reduce litter and waste, including support for the transition to a circular economy in Wales.
Caru Cymru will
Keep Wales Tidy manage a number of national programmes which create and care for our green spaces and our
waterways.
Through our conservation work we will
We will
We recognise that through prioritising youth engagement we can ensure an early understanding of the long term impact of their behaviour and support the building of a better legacy for the country and for the planet.
Through our Eco-Schools programme we will
Through our Youth Board we will
For fifty years we've been leading the way for urban, rural, coastal and business communities across the country to value our surroundings and to come together to improve the quality of our shared local environment.
This is the framework of projects and programmes through which we continue to deliver our 'all Wales approach'.
Click on the tabs below to see a map of where we have delivered the project or programme.
Keep Wales Tidy is a charity committed to working with local communities across Wales to protect our environment now and for the future.
Practically, we know that a good quality environment matters to people but we also know that the way in which we work to achieve this is important.
Our behaviour and our values are at the core of everything that we do. We will always be:
Our team demonstrate sustainability at work on a daily basis by:
As an environmental charity our policy for spend is reuse, refurbish, recycle first.
In order to ensure we use our finite resources as wisely as possible our projects are measured against their suitability and support of our overall aims. All budget allocations and spend are made under rigorous internal audit procedures.
As a trusted national charity, we must ensure that all our work is as inclusive as it can be, and that we are able to deliver for the communities we serve. That is why we chose to invest so heavily in our EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) work now and in the future, which includes actively supporting the delivery of the Well-Being of Future Generations Act (Wales) and committing to the Anti-Racist Wales action plan.
We have been taking big steps to reach into new communities, and to work with those people and places who have not traditionally enjoyed our support. We are enjoying real success with national programmes like Local Place for Nature and Caru Cymru supporting sites in less rural and inner city areas.
The hugely impressive Michael Barnfather – winner of the Tidy Wales Awards 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award
An innovative solution to litter collection in Swansea
Local Community joining Spring Clean Cymru and the Guinness World Record River Clean up event
Green Flag Celebrations
Local Community joining Spring Clean Cymru and the Guinness World Record River Clean up event.Our programmes are platforms through which to deliver the foundation for some of our most ambitious goals for Wales. Just as importantly, they do so by enabling people to work together to protect and improve our environment.
Our education programme Eco-Schools, and other youth projects, enable us to work with young people to establish sustainable behaviours and an understanding of how to build a Beautiful Wales for their future.
Our challenging and rewarding, volunteer roles take different forms across the country – creating nature on our doorstep from urban food and pollinator gardens on housing estates to cleaning up in parks, towns and marine areas. We are proud to work alongside dedicated supporters in our collective goal: A Beautiful Wales.
We take great pride in the well-being of our staff and our volunteers and hold a gold standard Investors in People award.
Local Places for Nature Food Growing Garden at Hope Community Centre in St Mellons. The produce is then used in the Hope Kitchen.
Training Pendergast Community Primary School how to look after all important pollinators
Create Salon Litter Free Zone
Local Places for Nature at School
Our CEO Owen Derbyshire at presenting at a Welsh Government Deposit Return Scheme Forum.
Local Places for Nature working with a refugee community group in Cardiff BayIn the face of growing concern about climate change, poverty, health and well-being, and economic resilience we have continued to take action addressing immediate issues with sustainable long term solutions.
Our Beautiful Wales strategy for 2022–30 builds on the work that we have done over the past 50 years and brings in new ideas, new people and new goals to cultivate this work further.
Keep Wales Tidy work closely with public, private and other third sector partners for the benefit of communities across Wales. This strategy will build on the successful programmes and activity we deliver together so that each of our partners feels as connected as possible to the Keep Wales Tidy goals for a Beautiful Wales.
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