Main Voar Redd Up effort this weekend

Thousands of volunteers will take to the beaches, coastlines and roadsides this weekend to clear bruck as part of the 32nd Voar Redd Up.

Over 200 groups have already registered with the Shetland Amenity Trust to take part in the annual spring clean.

Once the bruck is collected by volunteers around the isles, staff at the trust will then collect it – last year this involved collecting over 70 tonnes. Although the main clean-up is scheduled over this weekend, with so many groups involved and so much bruck to collect, the clean-up operation will continue over the coming weeks. Some have already started.

Head of engagement at the trust, Sandy Middleton, said: “With over 20 per cent of the Shetland population taking part it is phenomenal what is achieved by the redd up volunteers.

This is my first year working with the team to run Da Voar Redd Up and it has been a real eye-opener as to the logistics involved in managing the event and collecting the bruck.”

Increasingly people are registering to clean up road verges as well as the coastline. Drivers are asked to slow down and keep an eye out for volunteers.

The Shetland Amenity Trust runs Da Voar Redd Up with support from sponsors including Shetland Charitable Trust, Shetland Islands Council, Tesco Bags Of Help, EnQuest Sullom Voe, and Augean North Sea Services. Ms Middleton added: “We would like to thank our sponsors for their support, without them the event wouldn’t happen. A huge thanks to our staff too for all of their hard work and of course to the volunteers who make the event such an ongoing success.”

If anyone would like to get involved but are not part of a registered group they should contact the trust to find out about redd ups in their area. Contact info@shetlandamenity.org or call (01595) 694688.