5 Reasons to Participate in a Beach Clean Up

This weekend I’ll be taking part in the Great British Beach Clean by helping tidy up Netley Abbey beach, just outside of Southampton, Hampshire.

10,000 people up and down the country are participating in the event, organised by the Marine Conservation Society and executed by the Netley Abbey Beach Cleaning Volunteer Group.

After growing up in Dorset and Hampshire, I have experienced the glorious south coast of Britain. However, there have been times where my Dad would have to clean the beaches when I was younger so we as a family could enjoy them properly and safely. It got me interested in events such as this – therefore I would love to see more of you getting involved with a seaside near you!

Here are 5 reasons you should participate this weekend:

1)  Helping the local economy
Nobody wants to spend time at a beach that is covered in muck and litter. Therefore, when people don’t head to the beach because of the mess, local cafes, stalls, shops and ice cream parlours miss out on your business too. By promoting beach cleaning, local businesses will see more people visiting and their revenues rising.

2)  Helping the marine life
Filthy beaches sometimes mean that in periods of high tide, the sea may also sweep in the litter that has been left on the shore; causing hazards to marine life. Therefore, not only is rubbish ruining the beaches for humans, but also impacting the lives of our eco-system including fishes and, I’ve seen in the Solent, sometimes seals! Fish are friends, and our waste shouldn’t be making them unsafe in their natural environment.

3)  Make new friends
Coming together for a common cause is always a great way to strike up conversation and make some new buddies. Plus it feels nice giving back while being sociable with a volunteer team.

4)  Fresh air and being active
Heading to the beach is good for your health. It blows the cobwebs out of your system, gets the blood pumping and the sea breeze is great for your lungs. By helping with a beach clean you’re getting outdoors and benefiting your own body with light exercise and natural air, while at the same time improving the area to benefit other people’s health.

5)  The people you mix with at such events are from all walks of life, and might not have any idea what you do or who you are. As a Miss England finalist, I’ll be there to help, but also to explain about the other charities I am involved in, and how great the competition is. Who knows, I might find future competitors at Netley, or companies interested in sponsoring participants next year?! It is important as a title holder to get yourself out there for good causes, and then you can explain to people what Miss England really involves – becoming an advocate for volunteering and the Miss England organisation.

If anyone is interested, please get in touch with the Netley Abbey Beach Cleaning Volunteer Group on Facebook.

Thanks so much for reading, and I’ll pop up some pictures from the weekend soon.

Larissa, Miss Southampton 2014 x