Cramond beach receives some Chevening magic

Despite leading busy lifestyles while studying a Master’s degree here in the UK, a group of Chevening Scholars found time to volunteer, helping to clean Cramond Beach.

As one of the prettiest beaches in Scotland, Cramond is very popular with tourists. Not all tourists, however, clean up after themselves, and over time, Cramond had become pretty dirty. 

The Marine Conservation Society organised a day to clean the beach, and Chevening encouraged scholars to head along and lend a hand. Adaiana Lima, one of our social media ambassadors, was one of those who squeezed some time to give back into her schedule:

‘I had previously visited Scotland in 2014 and fell in love with the people and stunning landscapes. So, when the opportunity arose to return as a Social Media Ambassador, I did not think twice.

The Cramond Beach Clean event was organised by the Marine Conservation Society – a charity for the protection of the United Kingdom’s seas, shores and wildlife. Thanks to Chevening, and Programme Officer James Goldsmith, we had the chance to be part of the beach cleaning process, and carry out an interesting litter survey.

Despite the freezing weather in Edinburgh that morning (-2 °C), we had a great time working together on the beach. I made new friends with Chevening Scholars based around the UK and engaged with local residents, who were also volunteering on the project.

During the event, I learnt about the environment in Scotland and the work which is being undertaken to prevent litter and pollution on its beaches. Throughout the day, it was sad to find and collect so many wet wipes that were tangled with seaweed. We learnt that this happens because people throw wet wipes in the toilet. This causes blocked pipes, burst water filters and littering because the UK sewerage system was not built to cope with wet wipes. Therefore, the Marine Conservation Society encourages people to place their used wet wipes in the bin.

It seems that to keep the beautiful shoreline of Edinburgh clean, especially at Cramond, it is necessary that everyone across the country changes their habits. To promote awareness about this subject, a group of scholars who live in Scotland pledged to spread the lessons they had learned to help keep the beautiful shore of this country clean.’

Want to get involved?

The Marine Conservation Society’s Beach Watch programme takes place all through the year at many locations in the UK and are open to anyone that wants to join in.  If you want to find the nearest Beach Watch event to you then please check the Marine Conservation Society’s website.