Students in Beach Clean Up

Four of our students went to Milford-on-Sea to litter pick the busy beach in aid of Highcliffe Challenge

As part of the Highcliffe Challenge, our group decided to participate in a litter-picking event. On the 19th April, we cleaned our village roads and public footpaths, almost filling up two large bin bags. This activity was listed underneath the Leadership section of the challenge, which ranges from leading warm ups in PE lessons to running new clubs in the community. This can be used in the future to expand your job opportunities, as leadership is a main factor in deciding your employees. As well as increasing your confidence, it can be used during meetings and other important work environments. Leadership is also important for further education, as not only your academic achievements are taken into consideration when applying for future schools.

The Highcliffe challenge is where students take on a variety of tasks and responsibilities, in order to become a more successful candidate for future education and employment. The challenge features ten activities, which are chosen by the student themselves and link to five main categories: Leadership, Organisation, Resilience, Initiative and Communication (‘LORIC’). Each section contains two activities. In order to fully complete the challenge and reach Apprentice level, all ten tasks must be complete and approved. You need to write about how you benefitted from each experience and what it taught you.

We decided to litter pick in Milford because the area is very popular, with the beach so nearby. Using litter-picking tools, we disposed of the waste into two separate bin bags. We were shocked by the amount of litter that was scattered along the seafront; this included plastic lids and cutlery, smashed glass and paper receipts.

We spent over two hours walking around the village and beach, picking up as much rubbish as we could. We cleared some litter from the public footpaths and roads, digging into hedges and wading into ditches. Our bin bags were soon very heavy, and we had difficulty carrying them (especially along the beach, as it was very windy!).

It is important to try to keep the environment as clean as possible, because the constant littering that we do causes excessive damage to wildlife and their homes. When plastic enters the ocean, it gets broken into tiny particles that are consumed by sea creatures. In addition, between Hawaii and California, in the Pacific Ocean, there is a patch of garbage that is three times the size of France. At this rate, it is not getting any smaller.

This activity has made us realise just how much litter affects the area we live in and how it can impact the habitats for wildlife. The experience taught us to take the initiative and pick up any litter we see scattered on the floor. It is important for people to be more responsible in what they do and play their part in making the world cleaner.

By Charlotte, Oceane, Alice and Kate