The East Cowes community braved blustery conditions on Palm Sunday for the annual East Cowes Spring Beach Clean, organised by Michael and Janice Douse.
Twenty-five volunteers gave up their time to help clean the beach and surrounding woodland areas.
Hot drinks and cake for volunteers
Organiser Michael Douse thanked everyone who took part, saying,
“Many thanks to the 25 lovely people who supported our Esplanade Spring Beach Clean today! And thanks to Mayor Tracy and Councillor Sharon for providing us all with hot drinks and cakes afterwards in the Community Beach Hut.”
New faces join long-running event
Councillor Karl Love paid tribute to the organisers, who he said had been running the event for many years.
He noted that despite the challenging weather, many participants arrived well-prepared, with a number of new faces joining the effort.
Councillor Love said,
“There were lots of new faces taking great pride in their community and what better day to do it than on a Palm Sunday.”
He described the event as a success, adding,
“The event was a triumph in cleaning our beach and people’s spirits were high.”
SSSI beach area celebrated
Councillor Love highlighted the importance of the beach, which sits within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, saying the community feels fortunate to have such a natural asset on its doorstep.
He looked ahead to the summer season, expressing his hope to see families, children, and water sports returning to the Esplanade.
Turnstones return to the Esplanade
Councillor Love also shared his enthusiasm for the return of turnstone birds to the area, a personal highlight of the season for him.
He said he had counted around 25 birds in the flock this year, adding.
“I was hoping to see about 30 birds and there’s still time for more to arrive.”
