Red Funnel is financially backing an Island wide coastal beach clean from 22-23 September, which is an integral part of this year’s annual Isle of Wight Day celebrations.
The Isle of Wight has 67 miles of coastline and whilst its beaches are amongst the cleanest along the south coast, plastic and other man-made debris continually gets washed ashore to the detriment of wildlife and the marine environment. Objective of the island wide beach clean is to encourage communities and visitors to help remove as much plastic and litter as possible over one weekend and enjoy some fresh sea air in the process. There’s even the chance of finding some dinosaur bones and other fossils along some stretches of coastline.
Red Funnel plans to offer significant ferry discounts to people on the mainland who would like to travel to the Island and help, and it will be encouraging as many of its own staff as possible to don their gloves and assist with the clean-up.
Commenting on the plans, Kevin George, Red Funnel’s Chairman and CEO said: “Isle of Wight Day is a great opportunity for local communities and visitors to rally around a single cause which was highlighted so vividly in the Blue Planet series. This is likely to be the biggest beach clean the Island has ever seen, helping both the marine ecology and the overall appeal of some of the most beautiful coastline in the south.”
Robin Courage, Chairman of Isle of Wight Day said: “Once again, Isle of Wight Day is the day for the whole community to come together to tell the world about this stunning place. So this year we are encouraging everyone to join in the country’s largest ever beach and coastal clean-up over the weekend of September 22nd and 23rd. Let’s celebrate our 67 miles of beautiful beaches and coastal paths by ridding them of the unwanted waste that the seas have dumped there.”