In a concerted effort to remove rubbish that’s been washed up over winter on beaches in Purbeck including Swanage and Studland, the 33rd Great Dorset Beach Clean is taking place.
From local residents to visitors, everyone is welcome to join in the beach cleans between the 15th and 23rd of April 2023 along the Dorset coastline from Lyme Regis to Christchurch.
Volunteers cleared 100 bags of rubbish from the beaches in 2022
In 2022, the Great Dorset Beach Clean saw more than 200 people take part in 17 cleans with volunteers clearing around 100 bags of rubbish, as well as bulky items such as oil containers, tyres, a door, and ironically, even a bin!
Litter Free Dorset coordinator Emma Teasdale said:
“The Great Dorset Beach Clean is the perfect opportunity to enjoy Dorset’s beautiful beaches while joining together to help the environment.
“We appreciate anyone who wants to make the most of our incredible coastline and help keep our beaches clean. It’s fun, free and family friendly – so grab your pals and get down to the beach!”
The aim is to prevent as much litter and plastics as possible, ending up or returning to the sea, where it causes harm to the marine environment and affects bathing water quality, as well as being unsightly.
Plastics remain in our environment forever, gradually breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces which can be ingested by wildlife and be fatal.
You never know what you might find. In 2021 an old lobster pot was dug up!
The Great Dorset Beach Clean 2023
There’s 16 beach cleans happening in total, with seven in Purbeck.
Saturday 15th April
- Durdle Door near Lulworth 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Register in advance by emailing rangers@lulworth.com
- Lulworth Cove 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Register in advance by emailing rangers@lulworth.com
Sunday 16th April
- Chapman’s Pool near Worth Matravers 2 pm to 4 pm. Register in advance
Saturday 22nd April
- Knoll Beach, Studland 10.30 am to 12 noon
- Shell Bay, Studland 10.30 am to 12 noon
- South Beach, Studland 1.30 pm to 3 pm
Sunday 23rd April
- Swanage North Beach 2 pm to 4 pm
In Swanage, there’s also the weekly sweep of the beach from 9 am to 10.30 am on all Sundays run by Swanage Beach Buddies.
Clearing up at Chapman’s Pool near Worth Matravers
“Fantastic project at helping us tackle the issue of litter”
Beachwatch manager at the Marine Conservation Society, Lizzie Prior said:
“The Great Dorset Beach Clean is a fantastic project at helping us tackle the issue of litter. At the Marine Conservation Society, we’ve been collecting litter data for almost 30 years.
“It has helped us inform the UK Government to introduce policies such as the 5p bag charge and a ban on plastic cotton bud sticks.
“Getting involved in beach cleaning projects like the Great Dorset Beach Clean is a fantastic opportunity to get outdoors, give back and protect our ocean.”
Further information
- More details of how to get involved is on the Litter Free Dorset website
