Staff, students and members of the community are invited to lace up their trainers, grab their litter bags and enjoy º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s first plogging session next Tuesday (10 April).

Plogging – which means picking up litter while jogging – has become a popular pastime in Scandinavia and now, thanks to Dr Nicola Jennings, of the Department of Chemistry, it is hoped to become a firm favourite on campus.

Dr Jennings has been running regular plogging sessions in her hometown, Stoke-on-Trent, since March after spotting the term on Twitter.

She said: “After looking into it, I thought plogging would be an excellent way to improve the community spirit, make an impact on environmental issues and encourage residents to take pride in the area.

“Following a social media post, several local residents took part in my first few plogging sessions – many of whom had never jogged before.

“Since these events have started in Stoke, the sense of community spirit and engagement has been phenomenal with each session bringing new ploggers – both old and young, runners and non-runners – and now sessions take place twice a week.

“We now have support from our local county council and have even grabbed the attention of the local media.”

Dr Jennings continued: “I decided to hold an event at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ as I feel plogging is an excellent way to re-connect with people, contribute to a safe and clean environment and improve overall health and well-being.

“Plogging is not just for those that run; it is for anyone who wants to be more active and those that care about the environment.

“If each person made a small contribution, the impact of plogging would be outstanding!”

The University session will be taking place at 12.30pm outside the main entrance to the Edward Herbert Building (EHB) and will last for around 30 minutes.

The plogging will take place on and off campus. Litter pickers, gloves and bags will be provided.

For more information, email Dr Nicola Jennings at: N.Jennings@lboro.ac.uk