Beach Buddies is switching venues this weekend and will return to the south again for the second week in succession, visiting the beach at Port Grenaugh, Santon. It had been intended to go to the northwestern beaches, but the weather forecast for a freezing cold northerly wind has led organisers to choose a more sheltered venue in the south instead,

Volunteers meet at 10.30am on Sunday (6th March) and all equipment will be provided, as always, including gloves, bin bags and litter pickers, and items recycled afterwards such as metal, plastic and tin cans.

During the last week Beach Buddies hosted a major event when more than 60 children, teachers and parents from Willaston School took part in a brilliant beach cleaning session at Scarlett. The children were full of enthusiasm and everyone had a brilliant time, clearing a 3/4 mile stretch of beach, collecting large amounts of plastic, fishing gear and . The children were also delighted to find large numbers of crab and lobster claws which went home in their pockets!

Beach Buddies has also collected yet more plastic drums fill of used engine oil. We found two full oils drums and one half full on the stretch of beach between Smeale and Ballaghennie. Thank goodness none of the oil had spilled on this area which is the prime nesting site for large numbers of seabirds.

Photo - The children of Willaston School at the end of their beach cleaning session at Scarlett.