Litter Pick Team Helps Beach Win Trip Advisor Award

A team of enthusiastic disabled adults has been helping Swansea Beach clean-up in the Trip Advisor awards. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Staff and service users of the council-run Whitethorns Intensive Day service have been helping keep the beach clean with fortnightly litter-picks. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

And that’s helped the famous stretch of sand between the city centre and Mumbles pick up a prestigious Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Whitethorns Intensive Day Service is set for adults with a learning disability who have more complex needs and their regular trips to Swansea Bay is a good opportunity for them to get more independent and active in life. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Day Support Worker and Beach Cleaning Team leader Paul Howard said: “Swansea Bay is a jewel that everyone has to respect and a place that should not be taken for granted. It’s great that the beach has won the Trip Advisor award. It makes us proud because we feel we’ve made a contribution to securing the accolade.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He added: “Beach litter can be dangerous for young children as well as for pets. Our team work alongside the council and regularly collect bag after bag of litter from the beach between Blackpill and the East Pier making the beach cleaner and safer for all to use and enjoy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Unfortunately the tide brings a great amount of things onto our beaches as do people who thoughtlessly litter the beach which means there’s always litter to pick up. The work our team do is also a real benefit to the people of our city and also to themselves as they can achieve individual outcomes whilst actively contributing to their own communities.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Whitethorns Intensive Day Service is commissioned to support individuals with their disabilities and encourage them to go further. The main service outcome is to support individuals to manage and reduce behaviours that are challenging and allow them to move to more mainstream services as well as actively engaging in their local community. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​