A group of 30 APS colleagues and clients donned their litter pickers and took part in the Great British Beach Clean 2024 alongside the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

The team volunteered their time and spent a day at the stunning Formby Beach picking litter and conducting litter surveys which are a vital part of the work done by the MCS. The surveys indicate what types of litter are on the increase or decrease and what is happening regionally and nationally, and all of this information then allows the MCS to campaign for positive change.

Collectively, Team APS removed 1,166 litter items equating to 15kg’s of rubbish! This was surprising as upon first glance the beach was relatively clean, but it’s the unseen, smaller bits of plastic fragments that made up the majority of the haul and these are often the most dangerous to wildlife.

As well as doing something positive for the environment, it was great to get out into the fresh air (the weather even stayed kind!) to meet new people and connect over such a worthwhile cause – even with the friendly competition during the quiz at the end!

Some APS clients from the Home Office took part and said:

“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to participate in the beach clean. We had a lovely time. It was good for team bonding as well as helping clean the environment. There were many fun team building sessions and we had a good laugh. We’d also like to thank you for providing lunch, it was lovely. Thanks again for a lovely day filled with laughter.”

Take a look at the day here.