Calling all volunteers for the Shakespeare Beach Clean

Organisations behind a major operation to assess the levels of litter washed ashore by tides and currents are calling for Dover volunteers.

The White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, with support and funding from the Port of Dover, is running a marine litter survey and clean-up at Shakespeare Beach on Sunday, 20 September 2015, as part of the Marine Conservation Society's (MCS) national Great British Beach Clean.

Findings from the survey will be added to data from hundreds of others taking place across the country during the same weekend. This information will then be used by the MCS to target and tackle the main sources of litter at both national and international levels.

Last year's Great British Beach Clean had 77 volunteers cleaning Dover's beach, where an impressive 248kg of rubbish, containing 9,308 separate items of litter - mainly plastics - were removed as part of the national campaign.

This year, volunteers are being asked to head to Shakespeare Beach between 10am and 1pm, meeting at the gate off Lord Warden Square.

Vicki Jago, the Port of Dover's environmental manager, said: "The beach clean is a good fun event for all the family. Even if you can spare just a couple of hours, please come and make our beach a more enjoyable habitat not only for ourselves but also for our wildlife. It is a great way to work up an appetite for your Sunday lunch and trophies will be awarded for the most litter picked and the most unusual piece of litter found.

"Litter pickers, bags and gloves will be available on the day, but if you have your own set of gardening gloves they would be useful.

"We look forward to seeing you and thank you for your support."