On 27 August at 10 am, we’ll be joining wild sea swimming group Mental Health Swims at Sea Palling beach for our inaugural litter-picking event. Together, let’s take a dip in the North Sea and then walk the beach to the dunes, clearing up litter as we go. If you don’t fancy swimming, join us at 11 am for the litter pick. 

We’ll provide litter pickers (limited to one per adult or adult accompanying a supervised child under 16) and rubbish bags, and we’ll take away all the rubbish that’s collected. You just need to sign up, show up, and help out. If you’re bringing your own litter pick, please let us know when you sign up.

And if you want to dive in, Mental Health Swims offers a free yoga flow at 10 am, followed by a swim at 10.15 am. 

What you need to know

27 August 2023

10.00 Yoga (optional) 

10.15 Swim (optional)

11.00 – 11.30 Arrive and briefing

11.30 – 13.00 Walk, talk and collect rubbish.

Meeting point: Follow beach road, past Reefs Bar and the Life Boat and take a left onto the beach. Look out for the flag.

Where to park: See map. Allow 10 minutes to park, pay meter and walk to beach.

What to bring: We have a limited number of litter pickers available (one per adult or adult accompanying a supervised child under 16), so if you have your own, feel free to bring it. Please sign up and select either ‘borrow C X C litter pick’ or ‘bringing my own’ so we have a gauge on numbers. We also have reusable beach clean bags to collect the litter. And don’t forget snacks, drinks, hand sanitiser, sun cream, and your swimming stuff.

What to wear: Please make sure you wear appropriate footwear and gloves to keep your hands and feet protected. And check the weather before you come in case you need a raincoat or sunhat to stay comfortable throughout the clean-up.

Where to put the litter: We will show you where to put any litter you find before we start the clean-up. CxC will dispose of it all after we’re done.

How to stay safe: There will be a full safety briefing before we start litter picking, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Wear suitable clothing and footwear.
• Make sure you stay hydrated.
• Cover any cuts or abrasions with a waterproof plaster before you start. 
• Any children must be supervised at all times by someone over 18.
• Don’t touch litter with your bare hands – always use gloves and a litter picker.
• Don’t pick up anything you can’t identify or is clearly hazardous. The same goes for dead or live animals, needles, and other drug paraphernalia. Report any of these items to CxC
• Don’t go into the water to collect litter. Stick to the beach.
• Don’t overfill bin bags.
• Don’t compress rubbish as you might puncture your skin.
• Don’t lift any heavy objects or bin bags on your own.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before you eat or drink anything.

It is really helpful for us to understand how many people are attending, so please sign up here.