College Conserves Coast In Clean-Up

"Oh I do like to clean up by the seaside!"

That was the cry from Tollbar Sixth Form College students who spent their Sunday afternoon picking up litter on Cleethorpes beach as part of the Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch Big Weekend.

The annual clean-up, which is in its 18th year, aims to collect data on what washes up on our shores.

The group of A-level students worked tirelessly to remove items such as carrier bags, broken glass and even nappies from the seafront.

Diane Martin, creativity, action service and enrichment co-ordinator at Tollbar Sixth Form College, who helped to co-ordinate the event, said it had been a worthwhile exercise.

She said: "We had about 30 students taking part in the clean-up which is fantastic to see."

"It has gone really well and the students have managed to pick up quite a lot of litter."

"I think the students have really enjoyed it and they have all got a lot from it."

"Each group of students has been issued with a checklist to allow them to keep tally of the litter they find."

"We are then going to send the forms off to the Marine Conservation Society who will analyse the data that we've helped to collect."

"It has been a great initiative to be involved with and I think the staff have enjoyed it just as much as the students."

Students Abigail Blow, Sally Jenkinson, Danielle Collins and Laura Willey, all 16, said that they had enjoyed taking part in the clean-up.

Laura said: "It has been good to work as a group and it has been really interesting to see what kind of things get dumped on the beach."

Danielle said: "We have found loads of supermarket carrier bags and a few empty coffee cups, but we've also found random things like a comb, as well as a few screws."

"It has definitely been worth it as we have picked up loads of litter."

Sally said: "It has been fun, especially because we have been able to do it as a group.

"Taking part in activities like this is a compulsory part of our A-level course so it has been good project to take part in."

Friends Elizabeth Sutcliffe and Melissa Andrews, both 17, said they had found nappies, discarded sanitary products and broken glass.

Melissa said: "It has really shown us how much litter people just throw away.:

"Some of the stuff that we have picked up could be quite dangerous, so it has definitely been worthwhile."

Press Article from The Grimsby Telegraph - Monday 19 September 2011