Litter picking campaigners clean up Northumberland beaches

Volunteers on Holy Island display lobster crates and tyres they have collected whilst litter picking.

The campaign was part of the Cross Border Coastal Clean Up coordinated by Sea the Change.

Eco-conscious volunteers worked together to collect over 1,700 kg of unsightly and harmful litter strewn across Northumberland’s beaches and green spaces.

Beach cleans were carried out at 10 locations across Northumberland’s 40 mile stretch of coast from Blyth to Berwick.

Volunteers in Berwick prepare to pick litter.

All sorts of people of all different ages got stuck in; many were recreational users such as walkers, divers and sea swimmers.

Everyone who partook in the event had one thing in common – they all said they cared deeply for the coast, and wanted to do something to help keep it clean and healthy.

The event was sponsored by Tesco’s Bags of Help Community Fund, a Community Fund which aims to support thousands of community projects across the UK.

Liza Cole, Sea the Change’s education project officer, said: “It’s so inspiring to know that so many people, from all walks of life, took part in the Cross Border Coastal Clean-up.

A truck full of litter and waste gathered by volunteers in Embleton.

"The environmental challenges that we are facing in the world today are so huge that sometimes it can feel like we are powerless to do anything about them.

"But we’re not! As last Saturday showed, we all have a part to play. It may seem that we are only doing a small thing, but when all these small things are added together, they make a big difference!”