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COUNTDOWN IS ON FOR M&S BIG BEACH CLEAN-UP AT FORMBY BEACH

BIG BEACH CLEAN-UP 7th -13th MAY 2015
UPDATE: Due to a team of people dropping out, we now have more spaces available for Formby Beach volunteers on Tuesday 12th May. Please take part in this great event that includes lots of fun activities after the clean up. Help to keep our Bubble clean and tidy.
Join us for the Big Beach Clean-up and you'll be helping to protect beaches and sea life for the future.
With just over a week to go until Marks & Spencer’s 4th annual Big Beach Clean-up takes place on Formby Beach volunteers can still sign up to take part.
Starting at 10am on Tuesday 12th May, the event will be hosted in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and invites local residents, businesses, families, students and societies to join them in helping to scoop up unwanted rubbish.
Following the clean-up event, volunteers will be able to relax on deckchairs and enjoy entertainment with a twist. Giant versions of some of Britain’s best loved party games including connect four, jenga, twister, draughts and snakes & ladders will be set up on the beach for people to have fun after the litter-clearing work has been done!
Andy Horridge, Store Manager at M&S Formby, said: “It isn’t long now until our Big Beach Clean-Up event takes place at Formby beach. With just over a week to go, we’re giving a call out to members of the local community to sign up and get behind this worthwhile cause. Not only will volunteers be doing something positive for the local environment but it’s also a chance to get together with friends and have some fun on the beach too!
“A fantastic effort was made last year which resulted in 4,000 bin bags full of litter collected across the country. We’re hoping that this year will be our most successful yet, and we’re looking forward to doing our bit to make the beach a cleaner place for individuals to enjoy this summer.”
The 4th annual Big Beach Clean-up will see events take place at 145 beaches and canals up and down the country between the 7th and 13th May. It is expected that over 8,000 people (3,000 M&S employees and 5,000 M&S customers) will take part and customers can find their nearest beach clean and sign-up at www.mcsuk.org/foreverfish.
Most of the litter collected will be common waste items such as fishing nets, ropes and bottles tops. Last year 10,000 cotton buds, 25,000 crisp packets, 42,000 tin cans were collected. Cleaners also found an array of unusual items including false teeth, a hammer, a plastic leg, two motorbikes, a Smurf, a breast implant and an Action Man.
The M&S Big Beach Clean-up is part of M&S’ Forever Fish campaign which is funded by the profits from the 5p carrier bag charge in M&S foodhalls. Since its introduction in 2008, the charge has reduced carrier bag use by 75 per cent and raised over £8 million for good causes.
Since the M&S Big Beach Clean-up began in May 2012 over 20,000 people have taken part and 62.5 tonnes of litter – the weight of Challenger 2 tank – has been cleared from our canals and beaches.
Customers can find out more www.marksandspencer.com/plana and follow the event on twitter (@marksandspencer or search #beachclean) and facebook (www.facebook.com/marksandspencer).
The Marine Conservation Society
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and protection of marine life. Through education, community involvement and collaboration, MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and promotes individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment. MCS produces the annual Good Beach Guide, the Good Fish Guide and Fishonline on sustainable seafood, as well as involving thousands of volunteers in projects and surveys such as MCS Beachwatch and The Big Beach Clean-up. For further information, please visit: www.mcsuk.org.
The Canal & River Trust
The Canal & River Trust is the guardian of 2,000 miles of historic waterways across England and Wales, caring for the nation’s third largest collection of listed structures, as well as museums, archives, and hundreds of important wildlife sites.
We believe that living waterways transform places and enrich lives and our role is to make sure there is always a place on your doorstep where you can escape the pressures of everyday life, stretch your legs and simply feel closer to nature.
Forever Fish
At M&S, we’ve had a responsible fishing policy for last 15 years and we’ve taken that even further with our Forever Fish campaign. Forever Fish is funded by the profits from the 5p carrier bag charge in M&S Foodhalls.
OUR INITIATIVES
M&S' pledge to protect sea life and beaches.
All our wild fish comes from the most sustainable sources available to us, such as either certified as sustainable, participating in a Fishery Improvement Project or working to make improvements with WWF. Through our partnerships with Marine Conservation Society and WWF we’re helping to protect our sea life and beaches for the future.
Forever Fish has three main objectives:
help to protect and save our precious sea life, oceans and beaches for future generations to enjoy
encourage eating of lesser known and British fish species, without compromising on quality
involving volunteers in cleaning our beaches, and teaching their children about fish
How will we do it?
By donating all the profits from the sale of food carrier bags to WWF, MCS and an education programme to protect the marine environment
selling great tasting, great quality lesser-known species
asking volunteers to help clean beaches around the UK twice a year and record data on the types and amounts of litter found
BIG BEACH CLEAN-UP
The UK's beautiful coastline is at the heart of many happy days out and cherished childhood memories, but MCS has found that litter on British beaches rose by 6.4% last year and reported a 50% rise in the number of wet wipes found on beaches in 2014 compared to the previous year.
The UK's beautiful coastline is at the heart of many happy days out and cherished childhood memories, but MCS has found that litter on British beaches rose by 6.4% last year and reported a 50% rise in the number of wet wipes found on beaches in 2014 compared to the previous year. For the past three years, M&S has been working with MCS to organise an annual clean-up of the country's beaches. As well as keeping our coastline looking its best, the big beach clean-up – taking place this year from 7 May to 13 May – helps preserve sea life at risk of ingesting plastic rubbish.
Last year's event was a huge success, with 8,000 volunteers helping to clear litter from beaches and canals up and down the country – covering a total distance of around 250km. Participants collected over 25 tonnes of litter, including cans, wrappers, bottles, false teeth, a hammer, a breast implant and an Action Man! According to Samantha Fanshawe, MCS Chief Executive: “The Big Beach Clean-up has grown year on year, involving thousands of amazing volunteers ready to don gloves and bags and pick up the rubbish left behind by others, washed down from rivers or discarded from fishing boats and ships. Beach litter levels around the UK are sadly increasing – by over 6% according to our most recent UK survey. This fantastic partnership between M&S, charities and communities raises awareness of the issue and the need for nation-wide action across government, industry and voluntary sectors to stop litter at source.”
If you want to join in with this year's Big Beach Clean-up, it only takes an hour or two of your time, then you can spend the rest of the day enjoying the organised activities.
Find your nearest beach clean and sign-up at www.mcsuk.org/foreverfish

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