We kicked off day two of our road trip with DEFRA and DXC in Newcastle. We headed to Whitley Bay beach with 18 volunteers for a morning of litter picking. While the sun was shining, the temperature was very cold. Our amazing volunteers didn’t let that stop them from giving their beach clean their all!
For 3 hours we trekked up and down the beach, finding litter amongst the rocks and seaweed. This team of volunteers broke yet another beach clean record, collecting 127.89 kilos of litter, a staggering amount!
On every beach clean we find ghost gear, but this beach had a particularly large amount of fishing gear and netting.
There were plenty of strange items found amongst the usual litter. Here are just some of the things we founds as a group:
- CDs
- Lots of painted wood and pallets
- A foam plane
- Lots of ghost gear (abandoned fishing gear)
- Broken fish shaped toys
- Cable ties
The dedication shown by the Newcastle team We were blown away by the enthusiasm and determination of the DEFRA and DXC volunteers. We didn’t think it would be possible, but the Newcastle team actually managed to beat the record amount collected by the Glasgow team the day before. We can’t wait to visit the rest of our locations, with the next up being Manchester!
Volunteers competed to collect the strangest item, and the heaviest bag. The winners received our reusable, insulated water bottles, as well as some of our carbon neutral t-shirts.
All of this effort is to raise awareness about litter and plastic pollution across the country. More importantly though, we are raising money to help the wonderful Hannah purchase an Innowalk. This piece of equipment will allow her to walk and move whilst being fully supported. You can learn more about her amazing story, and how you can donate here.
Keep an eye on our blog for more updates as we travel around the UK this week!
