Local Litter Champions Celebrated at the 2026 LALA Awards

LAGER Can honours its tireless volunteers

Former Ealing MP Steve Pound and Mel Giedroyc running the raffle. Picture: Lager Can

June 22, 2026

The volunteers who help keep Ealing’s parks, streets and green spaces clean were honoured on Sunday (21 June) as the Litter Action Group for Ealing Residents (LAGER Can) hosted its annual LALAs – the LAGER Can Legends Awards.

Held at the Pear Tree Park Bistro, the event brought together more than 40 guests for an afternoon celebrating the people whose dedication has shaped one of the borough’s most active and visible community movements. Twelve awards were presented to volunteers whose commitment to litter picking, fly-tipping reduction and wider community support has made a lasting difference to Ealing’s environment.

Distinguished guests joined the celebrations, including Richard Kornicki CBE, Representative Deputy Lieutenant for Ealing, broadcaster Mel Giedroyc and former MP Steve Pound. Their presence underscored the growing recognition of LAGER Can’s work and the impact of grassroots environmental action across the borough.

Guests enjoyed a buffet prepared by Diana and her team at the Pear Tree Park Bistro. Alongside the awards, the afternoon also raised more than £700 through an online and in-person raffle, providing vital funds to support LAGER Can’s ongoing work.

Cathy Swift, Chair of LAGER Can, said the judging process had been far from easy, given the scale of volunteer commitment across the group. “It was a challenge to choose just 12 winners from our large volunteer base,” she said. “The awardees were selected based not just on their litter picking activity but on their general engagement with LAGER Can, whether by supporting others, promoting our work, helping to reduce fly-tipping, etc. An unintended benefit of developing LAGER Can for the past five years has been to see such strong friendships forming between our members. I’m incredibly grateful to officers at Ealing Council who support our work, and to everyone who made The LALAs such a great success.”

Mark Warner, LAGER Can Trustee and award recipient, praised the dedication of his fellow volunteers. “Thanks to the dignitaries who helped make the LAGER Can LALA awards such a success, but above all, the award winners themselves, who, even by LAGER Can’s high standards, go above and beyond,” he said. “They put in a truly remarkable effort throughout the year to make our borough a better place. It’s my hope that it inspires others to follow our lead and get out there and become part of the solution.”

Volunteer and Hanwell Litter Hero Katy Grant described the event as “brilliant”, adding that she was “chuffed to bits” to receive her award. “I like to think I’m helping the planet in a small way by litter picking when I feel fit, for as long or as little as I like,” she said. “It makes me feel good to keep our green spaces clean.”

LAGER Can continues to welcome new volunteers, whether they prefer joining group litter-picking sessions or working independently. Following the success of this year’s ceremony, the group is likely to host another LALA Awards event in 2027.

For further information or to join future events, visit lagercan.co.uk.