Glenarm school kids take part in a ‘Very Merry’ Christmas clean-up

A merry group of 70 pupils from Seaview Primary School in Glenarm helped clean up their local beach recently, supported by their teachers and principal, Mr Corr.

On a sunny, winter’s day, the children had fun picking up litter and learning about the impact it can have on marine life and the local environment.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Cllr Maureen Morrow, said:

“It is fantastic to see so many young people making their beach a more beautiful and safer place to visit this Christmas.

“I hope this clean-up activity will give them a real sense of civic pride. I would like to extend my thanks to all the children for their hard work and effort; they have done their bit to make Glenarm more attractive for all the community as well as visitors to the area and tourists.

“I would also encourage residents to make time to get outside and enjoy fresh air over the festive period. Winter is still a good time to get close to nature as many animals are still active. You can still see bats, hares, hedgehog and even red squirrel as winter begins to draw in.

“Along the shore, look out for harbour seals, wildfowl and wading birds. Heron, kingfisher and otter can be found in our rivers throughout the season. Just wrap up warm and bring your binoculars.”

Ashleigh Moran, Seaview Primary School teacher, said: “Seaview Primary School are in the enviable position of being situated just across the road from Glenarm beach and Marina. This provides many outdoor learning opportunities for the pupils but also allows them to witness the devastating effects of litter.

“As an Eco School, we are very proud of the school environment and teaching and non-teaching staff encourage the pupils from P1 right through to P7 to look after the community and their environment.

“The whole school joined in the big beach clean and removed unwanted debris from the strand. Children also had the chance to talk about the dangers of litter and pollution to the marine environment.

“The children took the collected litter to their school, to sort it into recyclable and non-recyclable items and to learn about where the litter originates from. The school will then bring the recyclable items to their local household recycling centre. We found some unexpected items such as a shoe, plastic pipe and lobster pot.

“Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the morning, especially as their hard work was rewarded with a very special visit from Santa!”

To find out more or organise your own beach clean-up, please contact waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or parks@midandeastantrim.gov.uk