34 tonnes of litter: that's the staggering amount cleared up from the beaches of Morecambe Bay by volunteers over the last two years. 2,790 kilometres of footpaths and trails have been cleaned yet the tides keep bringing in more rubbish to be cleared away.

It may well seem to be a never ending job but for those who lead it and the many volunteers who willingly give their time, the results make it well worthwhile. It's even said to help with wellbeing.

Lauren Munro-Bennett is the beach care officer for the Morecambe Bay Partnership and Diane Sammons is a volunteer who has set up her own clean-up group, the Tideliners, who keep an eye on the beaches close to where the River Keer meets the Bay near Warton. As Diane tells us, she's upcycled some of the items she's found and even made an outdoor festive decoration from some of the rubbish that she's retrieved from the area. You can see a video and more pictures on the Morecambe Bay Podcast website and our social media channels, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and now TikTok.

Click here for more information about the voluntary beach clean scheme run by the Morecambe Bay Partnership .

Sigh of the Sea

The Morecambe Bay PodcastBy Nigel ThompsonJan 28, 2024