The Great Dorset Beach Clean took place across the county including Swanage and Studland beaches, despite a weekend of high winds, grey skies and rain.
The annual event had to be cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic but was able to go ahead this year with a limited number of volunteers.
Beach cleans took place from Lyme Regis in the west, all the way along the coast to Christchurch in the east over the weekend from Saturday 22nd to Sunday 23rd May 2021. Across Dorset, 328 volunteers took part collecting 165 bags of rubbish including tyres, buried rusty lobster pots, tents, oil drums and a gazebo.
Due to bad weather, events at Sandbanks and Chapman’s Pool were cancelled on the Sunday.
The team at Swanage North Beach
Respect and protect Dorset’s coastline
The aim of the event is to ensure Dorset’s beaches are litter free prior to the May half term holidays, with the hope that both residents and visitors alike will be encouraged to respect and protect Dorset’s coastline and collect up and responsibly dispose of any litter.
Durlston Country Park rangers, Paul Jones and Ben Tolley hosted the beach clean at Swanage’s North Beach in the afternoon on Saturday 22nd May 2021, with support from Swanage Beach Buddies.
Earlier in the day, volunteers, organised by the National Trust, were out across Studland, litter picking at Shell Bay, Knoll Beach and Middle Beach.
Litter pickers at Studland
“We did get some sunny bursts in Purbeck”
Litter Free Coast and Sea who organised the event said:
“Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for the Great Dorset Beach Clean. Despite the cloudy skies, we did get some sunny bursts in Purbeck for the Studland and Swanage beach cleans!
“A big thank you to Durlston Country Park and National Trust Studland Bay for leading the cleans – it was great to see everyone and very fun to take part in litter picking along the Dorset coast!”
Litter was also collected from Studland’s car parks
