Beach Cleans

Litter on our beaches poses a huge threat to our marine wildlife. Sussex Wildlife Trust organises regular beach cleans for volunteers as well as for corporate groups to help keep our beaches clean and protect our wonderful local marine and coastal wildlife.

Beach Cleaning
Miles Davies

Upcoming Events

2025 volunteer beach litter survey schedule: 

Monday 17 February - 09:30 - Ovingdean

Wednesday 26 March - 10:00 - Worthing

Wednesday 23 April​ - 10:30 - Cuckmere Haven

More dates will be added soon!

You must be a registered Sussex Wildlife Trust volunteer to join us on our volunteer beach litter surveys. To register, please complete this online application form 

We sometimes run public beach clean events - check the link below to see if there are any coming up:

Click for Beach Clean events

Ultimately, a change in the way products are manufactured, packaged and stored - and indeed a reform in recycling processes - is needed to 'turn off the tap' of the plastic which is causing damage to our environment. These changes need to come from big business and government.

Although beach cleans are not the answer to the problem, they are a great way to make a small difference and look after our local patch. Beach cleans are also a great way to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and meet other like-minded volunteers. It's also a great team-building opportunity and provides environmental education for work parties.

By undertaking a litter survey, we can also collect valuable information about the litter found on our beaches. This information can be used to influence businesses, council and the government - information is power! All of our beach cleans include a litter survey; our data is sent to the Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch database - the most influential fight against marine litter in the UK.

Beach Clean newsletter 2019-20

Download newsletter

Corporate Events and Work Parties

We are happy to arrange a bespoke beach clean event for your organisation through our Work For Wildlife scheme. To enquire, please contact Louise Colbran on 01273 497522, or click here for further information.

Corporate beach clean group
Louise Colbran

Further Information

Other opportunities to get involved with beach cleaning activities:
- 2-Minute Beach Clean
- Pier2Pier Beach Cleaning
- The Deans Volunteers
- Surfers Against Sewage
- Marine Conservation Society
Clean Seas Please (Bexhill & Hastings)