A band of volunteers took to Tendring’s golden sands to help clean-up
more than ten miles of beaches.
Teams tackled stretches in Clacton, Jaywick, Frinton and Walton as part
of a nationwide effort.
Bags of rubbish were filled and taken away to help protect the
environment from the waste and detritus left behind and washed up on the shore.
The event was staged yesterday (Sunday), and Clacton Pier hosted the
Clacton Volunteer Litter Picking group that worked eastwards to Holland-on-Sea.
RiverCare and BeachCare, who are managed by Keep Britain Tidy and
supported by Anglian Water, were in attendance and helped with the organisation
of the clean-up.
David Wallace, RiverCare and BeachCare’s programme officer for Essex and
Suffolk, said he was delighted with the effort.
“We are able to help with equipment, insurance, risk assessments and the
paperwork but it is the local community that come up with the volunteers – the
manpower to do the leg work,” he said.
“There are around 40 people here in Clacton this morning with support
from the pier and there are about 100 in all including the sites at Frinton and
Walton.
“It is a great team effort and makes a huge difference, as well as
helping to raise awareness.”
The other teams were Frinton Frombles, Walton Wallys, Walton Naze and
Trash Free Tendring.
It was all part of a Great British beach clean by the Marine
Conservation Society.
Pier director Billy Ball said he was pleased to be able to back the worthwhile
community initiative.
“As a business that operates over the North Sea and the beach, we are
very aware of the environmental issues involved,” he added.
“We educate people on the local sea life in our Seaquarium in an effort to
raise awareness -and are happy to support beach clean initiatives such as this
one. It was a great effort all round.”
The Clacton Volunteer Litter picking team collected more than 30 bags of
rubbish and also found over 200 Ray egg cases – also known as mermaid’s purses –
as part of a marine survey.
Adrian Smith, who was part of the team, said: “It was a very successful
day, and we would like to thank everyone who got involved in the clean which we
hope to run annually or bi-annually. We walked around 100kms collectively across
Clacton, Jaywick, Frinton and Walton.”
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