Beach wardens clean up with Southern Water cash - 8/3/2010
Volunteers who give up their spare time to look after their local beaches have cleaned up with a £1,000 grant from Southern Water.
The West Sussex Beach Wardens group was set up in 2004 and for the past three years has been sponsored by Southern Water.
The group’s 65 trained beach wardens work throughout the year to keep the beaches clean along 44 miles of coastline and conduct surveys of the wide variety of plants and wildlife that flourish there.
The wardens also hold regular community events including flower walks and help out at national events to raise awareness like World Oceans Day and Marine Week.
Anna Carter, Southern Water Hub Analyst and chairman of the group, explained that the continued investment was essential to the wardens’ future.
She said: “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from Southern Water. It is absolutely crucial to us as it pays for our insurance, our annual conference and much of our running costs. Without it, we simply could not keep going without having to spend a lot of time and effort fundraising.”
Helen Sparkes, who co-ordinates Southern Water’s community grants programme, said: “The cleanliness of beaches in our area is a cause which is close to our hearts at Southern Water and we are delighted to be able to support this team of dedicated volunteers who do a fine job in helping to maintain our region’s stunning coastline.”
To find out more about the beach wardens and to get involved, visit www.westsussexbeachwardens.co.uk.
