Hello and welcome to the autumn edition of the Keep Wales Tidy newsletter. The cold weather has definitely arrived and with vibrant reds and oranges all around, now is the perfect time to see our country at its most beautiful. 
It has been a time of change at Keep Wales Tidy as we said goodbye to four of our long serving Trustees in September including our Chair, Katherine Hughes. I would like to thank them all for their support and contribution to the work of Keep Wales Tidy. It has been a real privilege to work closely with Katherine over the last 18 months and I have benefitted a great deal from her wisdom and support.
I am really pleased that John Hogg, from Environment Agency Wales, who has been on our board for the last four years has agreed to become our new Chair. In his recent comments to the board John said that he sees Keep Wales Tidy as a ‘part of the fabric of Wales as it provides a service that no-one else does and we should be justly proud of what we achieve’.
The new season has been a fruitful one here at Keep Wales Tidy. Being aware of the problems caused by discarded carrier bags, we fully support the recently introduced single-use carrier bag charge in Wales. If people reuse their bags or use cotton shoppers, we should see a huge reduction in the amount of bags which often tarnish the Welsh landscape or end up in landfill. The Welsh branch of John Lewis will be donating the five pence charge to Keep Wales Tidy to support our work in schools and communities. McDonald’s and the Home Retail Group stores in Wales will also donate their carrier bag charge to Keep Wales Tidy helping local communities to improve their environment. I hope that more retailers will decide to contribute towards protecting our environment for the benefit of all.
Activity here has been non-stop as people from across Wales rolled up their sleeves and cleaned up their local area for Tidy Wales Week 2011. It was wonderful to see communities taking time to get together to make where they live an even better place. This year also saw the launch of the Three Rivers Challenge with the rivers Ebbw, Ogmore and Teifi given a makeover by local volunteers.
People really are at the heart of what we do and we are very grateful to the thousands of you who regularly take part in our environmental improvement projects and help spread the word about our work. As a way of recognising our volunteers' achievements we hold the annual Tidy Wales Awards which will take place in January next year.The search has begun to find groups, individuals and businesses across Wales who have gone the extra mile to rid our towns, villages and countryside of unpleasant litter and waste. If you know someone who fits the bill, please nominate them. They're worth it!
Finally, if you would like to know more about Keep Wales Tidy, why not follow my blog? Go to www.keepwalestidy.wordpress.com to read all about our work.