Guest blog: JC Full Body Fitness joins the One Million Bags challenge

JC Full Body Fitness: supporting the Downs through community action

Fresh air. Space. Community.

For many Bristol residents, these are the reasons they meet each week on the Clifton and Durdham Downs with JC Full Body Fitness.

Now, that outdoor fitness community is taking things one step further, not just training together, but actively helping care for the Downs.

JC Full Body Fitness has become the first outdoor fitness club to officially join One Million Bags, the grassroots movement encouraging people to get outdoors, get active and give back by removing litter from their communities.

Founded by Bristol resident Mark Rowlands, One Million Bags has now seen more than 165,000 bags of litter removed across Bristol and beyond. The principle is simple: if people are already outside walking, running or training, they can also help protect the places they use.

Protecting the Downs, one bag at a time

For Jon Clayton, founder of JC Full Body Fitness, joining One Million Bags was a natural progression.

“We train here. We sweat here. We build strength here. Now we protect it too.”

The Downs are one of Bristol’s most valued public spaces. During busy weekends, particularly in warmer months, litter can accumulate. Rather than walk past it, JC members now actively remove it.

This initiative has been made possible with practical support from Bristol Waste Company, who have supplied litter pickers on free long-term loan and bags to enable safe, structured litter collection.

Once the volunteers have collected litter in bags, they contact Bristol Waste to ensure filled bags are collected.

This demonstrates how city services and community groups can work together to protect shared spaces.

Litter pickers and bags are now carried in the JC Full Body Fitness van. Members are encouraged to collect visible rubbish before, during or after sessions. If each participant removes just a few items each week, the cumulative effect over time becomes significant, improving the environment for everyone who uses the Downs.

More than just fitness

Organised outdoor fitness groups contribute far more than physical activity. Their regular and visible presence supports informal stewardship of the space, enhances perceptions of safety, and strengthens community connection.

By embedding environmental responsibility into its culture, JC Full Body Fitness is helping build a standard of care for public spaces through example. Seeing fellow residents take care of the Downs and other public spaces also encourages people to behaviour more responsibly, use bins or take their litter home with them.

This partnership highlights how grassroots initiatives and Bristol Waste can complement one another: professional waste services managing the city’s infrastructure, alongside residents taking practical, voluntary action to reduce litter and improve local environments.

A positive example for others

As the first outdoor fitness club to join One Million Bags, JC Full Body Fitness is setting a precedent for how organisations across Bristol can contribute to protecting the spaces they use.

The approach is straightforward:

• Get outdoors
• Get active
• Leave the space better than you found it

By combining physical activity with environmental responsibility, the club is helping build stronger community connection and a stronger local environment on the Downs.

Litter picking kits are available for Bristol residents and businesses to borrow for free — visit the litter picking page for more information including top tips and sample risk assessment form, booking kits and organising a bag collection. Bristol Waste is also encouraging residents and businesses to take part in the Great Bristol Spring Clean, which takes place from 20 March to 20 April 2026.

How to join the challenge:

Joining is easy! All you need is a free Strava account and the motivation to make a difference. Follow this link to join.

Twitter/X users can also take part by adding #onemillionbags to their litter picking posts.

Free equipment and collection of bags 🙌🙌

Bristol Waste can provide you with all of the equipment that you need and they will also collect your bags of litter through simply completing an online form.

Find out more about planning a safe and enjoyable litter pick and book your free kit here.