A volunteer-led campaign to clean up beaches across the South West has been labelled ‘a huge success’ by organisers, who thanked the many people who joined the mission to rid the region’s coastline of plastic waste and other litter.
South West Conservatives organised their own Big Beach Clean in September, tied in with other campaigns and projects across the region, including the Great British Beach Clean led by the Marine Conservation Society.
Local Conservatives organised or joined clean-ups at seven beaches in Devon, four in Cornwall, six in Dorset and one in South Gloucestershire.
“It is really easy to get involved in beach cleans across Plymouth’s beaches meaning we can all do our bit to keep our beaches clean”
Peter Booth, chairman of South West Conservatives, said:
“The Big Beach Clean was a huge success, with lots of volunteers coming together to lead or join a host of events across the region.
“The response was fantastic and I would like to thank everyone who took part, including local campaigners and groups, elected Conservatives and supporters and, especially, the members of the public who responded to our appeal for help.
“The sheer amount of rubbish collected at the weekend offers a stark reminder of the scale of the problem and why we need to keep working hard to reduce and eliminate litter around our beautiful coastline.”
Plymstock Radford Councillor, Rebecca Smith, who took part in the Mount Batten beach clean said,
“It was fantastic to join in with the Plymouth Beach Clean Volunteers’ biggest beach clean to date. It is really easy to get involved in beach cleans across Plymouth’s beaches meaning we can all do our bit to keep our beaches clean.
“I’d encourage anyone in Plymstock and across the whole city who is inspired to give beach cleaning a go to contact Plymouth Beach Clean Volunteers. It’s fun, educational and with plenty of beaches to choose from, easy to access.”
Environment Secretary Michael Gove described the Big Beach Clean as ‘a fantastic initiative’. He encouraged people to take part in beach cleans and “join our mission to leave the environment in a better state than we found it”.
Mr Gove said:
“The South West has some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere and it’s vital we protect them for future generations and ensure our great coastline and wildlife are not damaged by plastic waste and other litter.
“I would like to pay tribute to the local Conservatives and the many other people and organisations in the South West who are committed to protecting our coastline and changing attitudes towards litter.”
To join the mailing list for Plymouth Beach Clean Volunteers email plymouthbeachclean@gmail.com or visit the Facebook Page @plymouthbeachcleans
