River Dart Rotary
Sprucing up Dartmouth, one path at a time
River Dart Rotary | Weed Monkeys
Making a difference one path at time with dedicated volunteers.
Volunteer Today
Join our team and help us maintain the charm of our town.
About Us
The Weed Monkeys’ are affiliated to River Dart Rotary and were born in the summer of 2022 after some meetings of like minds between members of Rotary and their ‘Friends’. These discussions focused on the steady decline in appearance of many areas of Dartmouth, caused primarily by overgrown, untreated weeds on pavements, kerbs, steps and other areas of the built environment.
Recognising that the situation was only likely to worsen in the short and probably medium terms, and concerned to do something immediately to improve the look of our beautiful town, a few intrepid volunteers picked up some tools and started weeding. Since then, both volunteer numbers and weeding sessions have steadily increased, enabling us to tackle more areas of the town.
However weeds, of course, keep growing and the challenge of keeping on top of them is enormous. The effects of local authority cutbacks, rewilding trends and the non-acceptability of glyphosate weedkillers have all contributed to a situation that results in pavements and thoroughfares not being weeded for months or even years.
We understand that the beauty of Dartmouth is one of the main reasons why many of us chose to live here, but it’s also the reason why thousands of people choose to visit the town every year, bringing significant and vital income to our retail, hospitality and other businesses. We believe that the current shabby state of the town jeopardises this tourism income in the immediate future.
The Weed Monkeys and River Dart Rotary have teamed up with Dartmouth Green Partnership, The Chamber of Commerce, Town Council Officers and Town and District Councillors to form the TIDY DARTMOUTH initiative, which is making steady progress in trying to address the challenges that the town has in this area
WHY THE NAME ‘WEED MONKEYS’?….AND WHAT WE DO
One of our volunteers coined the phrase soon after we had started and it just stuck.
For some reason it seems to work and people like it, so The Weed Monkeys are here to stay!
We concentrate on weeding and sweeping pedestrianised areas of the built environment in the highest visibility areas of the town. This includes pavements, flights of steps and other pedestrianised areas e.g. the embankment. Where safe and logical, it might also include some roadside kerbs, but this is not the norm.
Up until the summer of 2025, we have planned one 2 hour weeding session per week during the Spring, Summer and Autumn seasons, weather permitting. No-one wants to weed in the rain! However, having increased our volunteer numbers to over 50, and also forming a leadership group (The Weeder Leaders) we are doubling up and aiming for two sessions each week from March through untill November.
As of summer 2025, sessions will run cyclically either mornings from 9-11 or afternoons from 2-4 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. The programme for the rest of the year is viewable below
We weed and sweep the designated area, bag up the green waste and notify SHDC of the location of the bags for collection.
Weed Monkeys are all volunteers. Most have joined after seeing us out and about doing what we do. We currently have over fifty volunteers and hope that this number continues to grow. Doing so will enable us to carry out increasingly more sessions.
Volunteers are not required to commit to a minimum number of sessions. They come along as and when they are able to do so.
Our forthcoming schedule.
Our fantastic logo was designed and donated free of charge by Dartmouth’s own Simon Drew and is now worn with pride on the backs of the Weed Monkey’s T Shirts.
We will be forever grateful to Simon for his wonderful contribution
Where We Have Worked
South Embankment, The Boatfloat, Coronation Park perimeter, The Flavel Church surrounds, St Saviour’s Church passage, Dartmouth Tourist Information Office area, Browns Hill Steps, Higher Street, Horn Hill Steps, Warfleet Road, Southtown, Newcomen Road, Bayards Hill, Smith Street, Zion Place, Mayor’s Avenue, The old Hospital site, Mayflower Close, Charles Street, Market Street, Flavel Street, Flavel Church, Windsor Road, Townstal Road and elsewhere.
We recently carried out or first ‘sponsored’ session for the George & Dragon and M&S. They are the first two businesses to make a donation in return for weeding.
We try to deal with areas that are most urgently in need of attention in the highest areas of visibility. We also aim to carry out increased numbers of sessions in the Townstal area at the top of town. We welcome requests, especially if they come with a pledge of a donation. Please contact us. (see below)
Alan Depledge – Co-founder and first President of River Dart Rotary
” I started Weed Monkeys because I was frustrated at how scruffy our beautiful town was looking and realised something had to be done. At the time I was running the Friends of Rotary group, so thought they would be a good group to ask. We started by painting the benches in the community gardens for Dartmouth Green Partnership, and then cleared College Way after the verge was cut. I then approached Jonathan Needs and asked if he would be happy to lead a weeding group, and the rest is history!”
Jonathan Needs – Co-founder and Head Monkey
“I got so fed up seeing the gradual decline in the state of our lovely town, then realised that nothing would change unless we did something. Fortunately, Alan Depledge and Rotary were thinking exactly the same, so we teamed up and got started. We have made a significant impact so far and plan to continue. Weed Monkey volunteers are a great group, who are determined to do their bit to keep their home town looking as good as it should. And the camaraderie is brilliant. Why not join us?
Our Weeder Leaders
Martin Andrew
Concerned by the poor state of many of the pavements and road gutters around Dartmouth, I had enquired of the town council if I could do some tidying on a voluntary basis. They referred me to The Monkeys. It’s great to be part of a team that cares about our pretty town and to make a difference whenever we go out, ‘tooled up’ to do a spot of weeding and sweeping
Paul Tann
Paul is man of few words!
Jonathan Needs
Phil Noon
I joined the Weed Monkeys in September ’24 after a chance meeting with the group while they were working on Browns Hill Steps. I joined the following week! I enjoyed their company and although I was new to the area, I felt the importance of the work being done. I’m proud to live in Dartmouth, and helping to keep it looking nice gives me a great feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction
Sharon Harris
The Weed Monkeys have an individual style, with their yellow T Shirts that make me smile. From the first time I saw them weeding away, I wanted to join without delay. Sessions are flexible, so I take part when I can. Doing my bit to keep Dartmouth looking spick and span. There’s a great team spirit and all equipment supplied. It’s really that simple, no terms and conditions applied!
Doum Dim
I am so proud to be part of The Weed Monkeys, looking after our lovely town. I think it is a very important job!
Val Depledge
I joined the Weed Monkeys as I wanted to help make a difference in tidying up our beautiful town, which when we started was badly in need of a weeding. I enjoy it because I love being part of such a friendly and hard working team and have such a sense of pride to see the difference we’ve made after one of our sessions
Sarah Adolphus
I can’t believe I’ve been a Weed Monkey since the original initiative three years ago. Our first assignment was Browns Hill Steps with a small group of us eager to tackle the jungle after lockdown! We have grown into a troop of over fifty and it’s fun to be part of a happy, positive team keeping our beautiful Dartmouth weed free
Alan Depledge
Di Nash
I love Dartmouth and feel very lucky to live here. I can help towards it being the town I’m proud of by joining the Weed Monkeys. The group are great to be with
Jonathan Hughes-Jones
I joined up because I wanted to do some community volunteering and this seemed perfect, given the current council issues. Being a somewhat untidy person, it’s also good training for me!
Darran Oakley
I joined the Weed Monkeys after I saw numerous pictures of the team doing great things in our town. They all looked a happy bunch and I thought it was a great way to help make a difference and also to meet lots of new friends
Our Funding
In 2024 we were fortunate to receive funding from South Hams DC and particularly Dartmouth Town Council which enabled us to buy some good quality new equipment (see below) We have also received some generous ‘one-off’ donations from individuals who appreciate the work that we do.
In August, businesses on Market Street made donations in return for the Weed Monkeys sprucing up their pavement and kerbs. And residents in Charles Street got together to do the same
June 2025 was the time when we also received our first ‘Sponsored donations’ , namely from the George & Dragon pub and Marks & Spencers, having spruced up the pavements, kerbs and hedge around their premises.
We are extremely grateful to all of the above for their generosity.
To enable us to buy replacement equipment and replenishment supplies, we will rely increasingly on donations of this kind or personal contributions.
THREE WAYS TO DONATE
If your street is badly in need of weeding, get a group of neighbours together and pledge a shared donation to the Weed Monkeys. We will then do the weeding!
If you simply think that what we are doing is great, then send us a donation via the link below.
If you run a business in town, or have a holiday home which would benefit from a smart looking exterior, pledge a donation and we will do the rest.
Our Equipment
We use a variety of tools, in particular the Wolf Garten Multi-Change range of equipment, which was supplied at a special price by Wolf Garten. These are lightweight, strong, and versatile and suit our work perfectly. They include brushes, dutch hoes, hook scrapers, wire brushes, and pruning saws.
In addition, we have loppers, shears, secateurs, axes, and a few other things. Thanks again to Dartmouth Town Council and Wolf Garten for their generosity
Garden Waste Bags
We also need a good supply of decent green bags to collect the green waste generated, and we are very grateful to Dartmouth Home and Hardware for supplying us at a special price.
The Weed Monkeys use Wolf Garten tools
Storage Solutions
One of our current challenges is finding a suitable place to store our equipment. If you have any suggestions or can offer a storage solution, please let us know. Proper storage will help us maintain our tools and ensure they are always ready for use.
Weed Monkeys clean up Dartmouth
Weed Monkeys Clean Up Dartmouth Our Weed Monkeys team from River Dart Rotary had a fantastic morning cleaning up Dartmouth! In a two-pronged assault, our nine-member squad tackled Newcomen Road and continued along Higher Street. We were thrilled to welcome Keith...
Mayflower Drive clear up
The Weed Monkey's latest work was in Mayflower Drive on Tuesday morning. The weather was super and 9 Weed Monkey volunteers turned up to clear a long obstructed footpath just down from the local Spar shop on the other side of the road. There was a lot of vegetation...
Join the the Dartmouth Weed Monkey Team
You don’t need to join Rotary to help us
Support Us
Your generous donations help us keep Dartmouth beautiful.
Every penny of your donation will go towards maintaining the operation of this fine group of volunteers’
Request a Weeding Visit
Know an area that needs our attention? Request a visit from the Weed Monkey team to help clear and beautify your local pavements, steps, or thoroughfares.
A pledge of a donation will certainly speed up your request!
We prioritise areas in urgent need and high visibility. Let us know how we can help!
Latest News & Updates
Join the River Dart Rotary Effort!
Become a part of something special in Torbay and South Hams. Whether you can spare a few hours to volunteer, wish to make a donation, or know an area that needs our attention, your involvement is invaluable. Help us keep our community beautiful and thriving.