The Thanet Coast Project has put together this advisory page to help volunteers and groups with advice on beach cleans around the North East Kent coast.
Why not organise your own beach clean? You can organise a group clean, or join in with an existing group on their beach clean event – the more hands helping, the better! This page provides information on what you need to do to organise your own clean up, and how to notify Thanet Council as the main landowner in the Thanet area. You can also view the links to take you to the organised local groups that run their own beach cleans that you can also join in.
Community groups can organise their own beach cleans. All you have to do is submit the online application below – which will include all the information required for obtaining landowner permission (Thanet Council Beaches & Coast) & enable you to book out equipment on loan for your beach clean on the Thanet Coast:
Organisers need to submit a
You can get initial advice: talk to us (at thanet.coast@thanet.gov.uk) about landowner permission, beach clean locations and date/time/tides for the clean.
But you will need to complete this online form, and:
We will help arrange with you for when & where the filled litter bags will be left for collection by Thanet Council’s Cleansing team, after the clean up.
PLEASE NOTE – For INLAND LITTER PICKS in Thanet, please view:
There are many local voluntary groups running beach cleans around the NE Kent coast, and these are the ones that have let us know of their activities:
Birchington Anti-litter Group (BAG) organise regular impromptu litter picks that include the beaches around the area. See their facebook page for more information.
Westgate Town Council have beach & litter clean equipment available for loans to groups wishing to help clean up in the Westgate area (Westgate Against Rubbish WAR)
Rise Up. Clean Up. Margate – regular monthly cleans, and weekly over the summer. More on their website and Twitter
A Better Cliftonville (ABC) & Walpole Bay Swimmers (WBS) – are running regular Walpole Bay beach cleans at 11am on the last Sunday of the month, meeting at the ramp to Walpole Tidal Pool.
Palm Bay & Northdown Community Group (private group)
Friends of Botany Bay and Kingsgate – Registered CIC and runs regular beach cleans with local volunteers.
Broadstairs Town Team are running regular beach cleans, as well as work around town. Litter pickers, plastic bags and hoops will be provided, but please note: on these cleans, you are advised to bring your own gloves and wear warm clothing! Please view their Facebook site for location & further details (please use link above).
Ramsgate Town Team; Ramsgate Town Council have various clean up projects and an online group – Ramsgate Litter Pickers (facebook) – as well as campaigns like the Great Spring Clean.
Advice on other cleans in the Ramsgate area – different groups occasionally undertake projects eg Ramsgate Society or Winterstoke Gardens/East Cliff projects
Western Undercliff – Artificial Beach Group, Ramsgate – run clean ups in this part of the Ramsgate coast.
Thanet Coast Project – Also see What’s On (events). Beach Cleans at Pegwell Bay, Cliffsend (CT12 5JD). Joint cleans within the National Nature Reserve with Kent Wildlife Trust. Meet on the beach below the former hoverport access road, Cliffsend.
These clean ups are also run in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Society volunteers – and particularly their annual Great British Beach Clean event in September (part of Beachwatch). All cleans last 2 hours. Next ones are:
Whitstable – Whitstable’s Marine Environment Group – run monthly beach cleans
Deal – Deal With It – run regular beach cleans along the coast in the Deal & Warmer area.
The Thanet Coast has a series of #2minutebeachclean {please click on link} stations where you can borrow a stick, and fill a bag with beach litter – following the safety guidance issued, & can post your good work on social media for everyone to see how easy it is to get involved! More information on your own 2-minute beach clean.
Margate Main Sands also has a number of bag dispenser points for collecting beach litter – thanks to ‘Rise Up Clean Up Margate’ & Thanet District Council.
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) – run beach clean tasks and have great Spring & Autumn Beach Cleans.
Marine Conservation Society’s ‘Beachwatch’ (MCS) – run beach clean tasks and coordinate the Great British Beach Clean (every third weekend in September).
Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) – run various campaigns eg Great British Spring Clean & The Big Tidy Up.
Bird Flu: Current national advice and guidelines & Kent advice Please be aware and keep a look out for our wild birds under stress, or dying. Report cases to the local authorities to collect (as they will use PPE gear) for around the East Kent coast:
Syringes: If you find any used syringes, please report to the above local authority – or unsure of the authority, through the national syringe report line.
This BEACH CLEAN ADVISORY SERVICE, litter sticks, hoops and bags were kick-started with kind support from Seachangers and Southern Water.