Litter Free coast and Sea is back with its 31st annual Great Dorset Beach Clean this month, with events taking place at Seatown and Cogden beaches.

Hosted in partnership with Clean Jurassic Coast, the event will take place over the weekend of May 22 and 23, with 21 beach cleans being organised by community groups, Dorset Wildlife Trust, national Trust and Leave Only Footprints from Lyme Regis to Christchurch.

The Seatown beach clean will take place on Saturday, May 22 from 9am to 11am and the Cogden Beach clean will take place on Sunday, May 23 from 11am to 1pm.

Places will be limited for each event so do book in advance here.

Last year's event was unable to go ahead due to the pandemic, but more than 700 volunteers across the Dorset coast worked together in 2019 to clear 214 bags of rubbish from the county's beaches. Litter collected included single-use items such as plastic bottles and aluminium cans, polystyrene pieces, bottle caps and lids, cotton bud sticks, plastic bags, fishing lines and various items of marine litter that had been washed up onto the shoreline.

Matilda Manley, Litter Free Coast and Sea project co-ordinator, said: "We are excited to be running the great Dorset Beach Clean again this year. It is obviously going to be a bit different and a little scaled back. However, we know that all the volunteers who help to lead the events and those who sign up to join in will make a big difference to our beautiful coastline. Look forward to seeing you on the beaches."

It is hoped both residents and visitors will be encouraged by the clean beaches and respect and protect Dorset's coastline this summer by collecting up and responsibly disposing of any litter they may produce.

Roy Beal, founder of Clean Jurassic Coast, said: "There is strength in numbers. Only by working together can we keep our fabulous beaches clean and the more awareness we can raise as a volunteer collaborative network, the better chance we have of getting the message across to try to prevent littering in the first place."

Share your photos of the 2021 Great Dorset Beach Clean on social media using the hashtag #GDBC2021 and tagging @LitterFreeCoastandSea and @CleanJurassicCoast

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