Community guidelines

Save First Home brings together people of every age, background and belief to look after the Earth. These guidelines help keep our drives safe and our stories welcoming. They apply to everyone who joins a drive or sends us a story.

Respect people and places

• Be kind and patient with everyone: fellow volunteers, residents, sanitation workers and passers-by.
• Ask before entering private land, temples, schools or homes, and follow local rules.
• Remember that people who work with waste every day know far more than we do. Listen to them.

Safety first

• Wear gloves and closed shoes at clean-ups, and carry water, a cap and sunscreen.
• Never pick up sharp or hazardous items (glass, needles, chemicals, medical waste) with bare hands or without the right gear. Point them out to the organiser instead.
• Children must stay with a parent or guardian at all times.
• Stay away from fast water, steep banks and traffic, and stop if you feel unwell.
• Follow the organiser’s instructions: they know the site.

Leave no trace

• Take back everything you bring, and bring a reusable bottle instead of buying plastic ones.
• Hand collected waste only to the agreed collector, never dump or burn it.
• Don’t disturb nests, animals or plants; only plant trees where the organiser has permission.

Photos and consent

• Ask people before you photograph them, and respect a “no”.
• Never photograph children without their parent’s or guardian’s consent.
• Don’t share photos that show someone’s home, face or personal details in a way that could embarrass them.

Keep it about the Earth

Our drives and pages are not the place for political campaigning, religious hostility, selling products or services, or hate of any kind. Everyone should feel welcome, whatever their party, faith, caste, gender or language.

How we moderate

We read every story before it is published, and we may shorten it, ask you a question or decline it. At drives, organisers may ask someone to leave if they put others at risk or break these guidelines. Serious or repeated problems may mean someone can’t join future drives.

Report a problem

If something worries you, tell the drive organiser straight away. You can also write to [email protected]; we read every message and will treat it in confidence. In an emergency, call 112.