Volunteers from ScottishPower Renewables and its associates have come together to reduce the amount of litter on a popular Suffolk beach.

Eastern Daily Press: ScottishPower Renewables and its associates came together to clear Kessingland beach as part of the Marine Conservation Societys (MCS) beach cleaning and litter surveying programme, Beachwatch. Picture: Courtesy of ScottishPower RenewablesScottishPower Renewables and its associates came together to clear Kessingland beach as part of the Marine Conservation Societys (MCS) beach cleaning and litter surveying programme, Beachwatch. Picture: Courtesy of ScottishPower Renewables (Image: Archant)

The team, made up of eight members of staff from the renewable energy company and eight from its contractors Turner Iceni and James Fisher, collected bags of rubbish along Kessingland beach this week.

The event, part of ScottishPower Renewables commitment to supporting regional community initiatives, saw volunteers spend the day tackling litter on the beach as part of the Marine Conservation Society's (MCS) beach cleaning and litter surveying programme, Beachwatch.

ScottishPower Renewables' beach cleaning day, which took place yesterday (May 22), was held in conjunction with the development of its East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm.

The 102-turbine offshore windfarm, located about 30 miles off the coast of East Anglia, is planned to be fully operational in 2020.

Beachwatch, which began in 1994, is an MCS initiative to involve local communities and volunteers in a practical project to clean and survey beaches all around the UK. With MCS being the only national UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife, campaigning for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and protection of marine life, the beach clean event in Kessingland was hailed a success.

Gillian Sutherland, offshore head of environment at ScottishPower Renewables, said: 'East Anglia is home to some of the most beautiful coastal regions in the UK and ScottishPower Renewables is dedicated to helping protect and maintain the county's beaches.

'The Kessingland beach clean provided us with the perfect opportunity to give back to a community that has been so welcoming since we began working in the region, whilst also demonstrating our commitment to protecting the environment and tackling the pollution of our coastlines.

'MCS is a fantastic charity doing valuable work and we are only too happy to join their mission to help conserve local beaches for the future,' she added.

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