461,000 litter heroes start tidying UK TODAY in Spring Clean backed by Mail
Dancing queens boogie their way to a spotless seafront
CLUTCHING sticks and bags while gyrating to music only they can hear, these colourfullydressed beachgoers look like they could be taking part in some kind of bizarre modern art project.
In fact, they are conscientious litter pickers who have turned their monthly clean-up on the pebbles into a dance party.
The Silent Disco Beach Clean has become a major phenomenon in Brighton, attracting scores of revellers who are passionate about cleaning up the environment – and having a good time while they do it.
Holding their tools – a pair of bluetooth headphones, a litter picker and a pair of gloves – the 200-strong group tune into one of three music stations and get to work. They then pick up litter on the pebble beach covering a half-mile stretch between Brighton’s Palace Pier and ruins of the West Pier.
Volunteers fill dozens of bin bags while dancing silently across the beach, recycling what they can and disposing of the rest in a responsible way.
And once the cleaning is done, the promenade hosts eco-workshops and distributes free goodies and information aimed at improving marine education. Organiser Amy Gibson said the Silent Disco Beach Clean makes helping the environment fun.
She said: ‘I know that people are more likely to engage with an issue if they can relate to it through a fun or moving experience. Positivity is key, and we’re dancing and smiling our way to a cleaner ocean.
‘We can imagine and action a world where we clean up the ocean, instead of accepting a world where we don’t.’
Miss Gibson said the Great British Spring Clean, was a ‘valuable and worthwhile’ contribution to changing people’s perceptions about the environment.