A group of youngsters braved driving rain and strong winds to help clean up one of Gwynedd’s most treasured beaches.
Armed with orange bags and sheer determination, pupils from Ysgol Cymerau joined forces with Harlech Foodservice staff and members of South Caernarfonshire Soroptomists to tackle rubbish left strewn across Pwllheli’s West Beach.
The nine and 10 year olds scoured the sands for bottles, plastic and even a packet of discarded wedding balloons as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s UK-wide Beachwatch survey.
The beach, normally busy during high summer, is part of the Pen Llŷn and Sarnau Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a marine protected area stretching from Nefyn on the north coast of Llŷn to just north of Aberystwyth.
The bags were handed to Cyngor Gwynedd for disposal.
Pupils Nansi Gwyn Thomas and Romeo Armitt said the litter they found included pieces of plastic and lengths of string.
“We even found the insole from a shoe. It’s sad to see so much rubbish on the beach,” said Nansi.
Efa Hughes added: “It’s important that we keep the beach as clean and as free of litter as possible,
Skylar Japheth spoke for her friends when she said she had enjoyed the walk on the beach.
“We should be kind to the environment because it’s important and we have to take care of it,” she said.
Organiser Ursula Scurrah-Price, from Harlech Foodservice, said staff travelled from as far afield as Wolverhampton and Cheshire, to bolster the local volunteers despite the bad weather.
She said: “Together we cleared litter, protected local wildlife, and did our bit for the environment.
“I think it’s very important that the company help the local the community. We want to do things like this to help as much as we can and improve the environment and it’s nice to see others supporting us as well.”
Ysgol Cymerau headteacher Alan Jones said: “The school’s motto is ‘lle daw dwy afon yn un lli’ (where two rivers join in one flow) and the children are members of the school’s eco-team which ensure we are environmentally friendly as possible.
“Joining the litter pick on the beach is one way to achieve this goal as well as fostering pride in the community that we are a part of and something hopefully they will take forward into the big wide world.”
According to Laura Hughes, Marine Project Officer at Cyngor Gwynedd, the beach is designated due to the range of special marine habitats and species it supports.
She said: “We run a large number of projects with local communities to improve the condition of the marine environment and it was brilliant to join in with a beach clean organised by Harlech Foodservice, along with the local Soroptimist International group and Ysgol Cymerau.
“Despite the pouring rain everyone got stuck in cleaning litter from the beach, making the environment cleaner and safer for people and wildlife, and playing our part in creating cleaner seas. We were even able to carry out a Marine Conservation Society Beachwatch litter survey.
“Every September volunteers get out onto coasts to create a beach litter snapshot. The litter survey data we collected at Pwllheli will go into the national database and be used to raise awareness and run campaigns.
“The data is also used to talk to manufacturers and governments to change policies and practices and stop litter from reaching the ocean.”
