A community campaign to keep Dorset beaches clean has come to Bournemouth in an attempt to combat litter.
Litter Free Coast and See, a project by Dorset Coast Forum, was started as an attempt to find and address the root causes of litter across the Jurassic coast line.
Beach care officer of Dorset Coast Forum Matilda Bark said: “The campaign began after a number of county coastal organisations came together, analysed the results of local beach clean surveys and found that most litter on beaches comes from the public.
“What we are trying to do now is work with the public to reduce litter getting to the beach in the first place,” said Miss Bark.
Litter Free Coast and Sea are now working with Bournemouth’s Seafront Services Team in the hope of including its beaches in the Great Dorset Beach Clean on April 21.
Last year’s beach clean attracted over 600 volunteers from across the county and resulted in the collection of over 500 bags of rubbish across 26 different beach locations.
Bournemouth beaches, which last year came first in a nationwide Trip Advisor beach poll, are doing very well according to the beach care officer: “The beaches are cleaned regularly,” she said, “which keeps them looking fantastic.
“What we’re doing now is talking to people to find out what they love about the beach,” said Miss Bark, “hopefully encouraging them to take pride in their local beaches with a focus on keeping them clean and safe.”
Other future plans for Litter Free Coast and See include working with volunteers from Bournemouth University, with the hope of arranging other beach cleans later in the year.
Main image courtesy: vickip2, Flickr
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