Friday 01-11-2024 - 09:09

On Monday, 14th October, over 70 volunteers took to the shores of the Menai Straits in Bangor for a 3-hour beach clean. The event was organised by Undeb Bangor, Bangor University's Students' Union, in collaboration with Campus Life. The North Wales River Trust also attended and supported the event.

Cleaning the shores was no easy feat, but by the end of the 3 hours, they had collected 20 bags of litter, with even more that could have been gathered! At the start, the Beach Clean Volunteering Project gave a speech outlining their plans for the year and their goal to collect more data on the amount and types of litter picked up during beach cleans. They plan to launch a form to gather data from volunteers, hoping it will be beneficial for research purposes.

Josie Ball, Volunteering and Community Coordinator, said, “It’s amazing to see so many students come together to clean up our local coastline. Not only that, but there is a real interest in supporting and integrating with our local community through these activities. Our Beach Cleans Volunteering Project is looking forward to supporting the newly formed Keep Bangor Tidy group with their monthly litter picks around Bangor. This project is just one example of our students’ contribution in this space; volunteers work hard across the year to plant trees, monitor our local water vole population and river quality, and develop green spaces. They love working with partners such as the North Wales River Trust, Wildlife Trust, and Menter Môn to increase the impact of their work.”

The beach clean was part of an extensive programme of activities hosted by Undeb Bangor as part of Waste Awareness Week. Other activities included a clothes swap and repair café, where 15 items were repaired and saved from going to landfill. , which provided an opportunity for both organisations to speak with students about the challenges they face with waste disposal and management. The visits aimed to ensure that tenants have all the information and receptacles needed to recycle properly. During these visits, they visited over 170 houses, handing out information.

Undeb Bangor was successful in winning an Excellence in Green Impact Award last year and hopes to continue striving for sustainability throughout this academic year. If you have any further questions or would like to get involved, you can contact volunteering@undebbangor.com.