The 2021 event is being hosted in partnership with Clean Jurassic Coast and the advice is to book early to secure your place on your chosen event.

There will 21 beach cleans to choose from hosted by organisations and community groups, including Dorset Wildlife Trust, National Trust and Leave Only Footprints. The events will be taking place along the Dorset coast from Lyme Regis to Christchurch.

Last year the Great Dorset Beach Clean was unable to run due to the pandemic; however, the 2019 event saw over 700 volunteers across the Dorset coast work together to clear 214 bags of rubbish from Dorset’s beautiful beaches. Litter collected included single-use items such as plastic bottles and aluminium cans, polystyrene pieces, bottle caps and lids, cotton bud sticks, plastic bags, fishing lines and various items of marine litter that had been washed up onto the shoreline.

“We are excited to be running the Great Dorset Beach Clean again this year. It is obviously going to be a bit different and a little scaled back,” said Matilda Manley, Litter Free Coast & Sea project coordinator. “However, we know that all the volunteers who help to lead the events and those who sign up to join in will make a big difference to our beautiful coastline. Look forward to seeing you on the beaches!”

This is an opportunity to get involved with a local community event, have some fun and make a difference to your local area. By working to ensure beaches are litter-free prior to the May half term holidays, it is hoped that residents and visitors alike will be encouraged to respect and protect Dorset’s coastline this summer and collect up and responsibly dispose of any litter they may produce during their coastal visits.

Roy Beal, founder of Clean Jurassic Coast, said: “There is strength in numbers. Only by working together can we keep our fabulous beaches clean and the more awareness we can raise as a volunteer collaborative network, the better chance we have of getting the message across to try to prevent littering in the first place.”

Planning on taking part in the 2021 Great Dorset Beach Clean? Share your clean up pics on social media by using the hashtag #GDBC2021 and tagging in @LitterFreeCoastandSea and @cleanjurassiccoast.

Full details of the beaches involved and booking details for each clean can be found on the Litter Free Coast and Sea website. For more information, please see the Litter Free Coast and Sea social media channels:

• Facebook: @LitterFreeCoastandSea
• Instagram: @litterfreecoast
• Twitter: @LitterFreeCoast