Whitby residents clean up Sandsend Beach with FirstPort

A group of Whitby residents headed to Sandsend beach last week to carry out a litter pick in support of the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean.

Property management company FirstPort invited colleagues and residents from across the country to take part in the clean - with development manager Tracey Lamont organising the Sandsend effort, alongside a group of residents at Fairways Court in Whitby.

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Tracey said: “I volunteered to carry out a beach clean in Sandsend and, despite being a small group, we managed to collect all sorts of rubbish. Surprisingly, over 80 per cent of the items we found on the beach contained plastic.

“The beach clean was a great way for myself and residents to support our local community. Despite it being quite cold on the day, we were lucky and managed to avoid the rain and we all had a great time. We are all keen to take part again next year.”

This year’s national event, which took place between Friday, September 20 and Sunday, September 29, is one of the largest marine citizen science activities of its kind in Britain.

Residents collecting litter (Image: Provided) In addition to removing litter, volunteers record the types of rubbish they find across a designated 100-metre stretch of beach allowing the Marine Conservation Society to tailor their research and campaigns to better protect the sea.

Clare Trotman, Beachwatch Officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “The work we do at the Marine Conservation Society simply wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, who help gather crucial beach litter data.

“This information is invaluable in shaping scientific understanding and driving the changes needed to protect our precious marine environment.”