The healthiest obsession on the planet

By Janine Pulford

Photos by Louis Pulford and Lee Cooper

If you want to keep fit and healthy and help save the planet at the same time, Roy Beal and Oli Rush would love you to join them on a beach clean. Whether you look upon their work as an obsession or a passion, one thing is for sure, their enthusiasm will rub off on you.

They litter pick along the Jurassic Coast and a kayak comes in handy to help them clear the inaccessible beaches.

Whilst picking up litter is not new to either men, working together is a fairly recent partnership.

As an eco-minded sea kayaker, Roy has collected plastic and other litter out of the water for many years whilst enjoying his hobby. More recently, he has set up an initiative called Clean Jurassic Coast.

Roy Beal

“It came about after a chance meeting on the beach with the Jurassic Coast Trust,” he said. “When I explained what I was doing and my perspective of the coast, I was invited to become an ambassador for the Jurassic Coast.”

He took up the offer and wanted to do something productive for the natural World Heritage Site.

“It started with a beach clean and developed from there,” he said. “I now spend five hours a week cleaning beaches along the Jurassic Coast.” Then along came his ‘wing man', windsurfer and swimmer, Oli Rush, who is just as obsessive about trying to keep the coast clean.

Oli Rush

They met when Oli, who has been beach cleaning for many years and started Project Planet, went to Chapman’s Pool and had a meltdown when he saw how bad the problem was. Not because people drop litter on the beach, (Chapman’s Pool is a long trek from anywhere), but because the rubbish is swept in from all over the planet on the tide. Chapman’s Pool is a natural collection point with around 99 per cent of the debris being plastic. Oli put out a plea on Instagram for someone with a boat to help him remove the large quantity of plastic, including fishing gear he’d gathered up because it was impossible to walk it out on his own. “I saw the request,” said Roy, “And got in touch.” Since then, they’ve worked together and often meet at Chapman’s Pool to carry out a beach clean. Roy comes from Exmouth and Oli from Poole. Before Storm Ciara hit the Dorset coast, they picked around 81kg of rubbish off the beach with a few willing helpers. A week later the pair were back and picked up a staggering 100kg.

Enthusiastic helpers

It's a long trek to the beach

It’s a never-ending task that would totally dishearten some people. But not Roy and Oli. “We don’t do it for personal gain. We do it because it’s good exercise and a good use of our time. We’re doing something that makes a difference,” said Oli. “I know if we don’t pick up the plastic while it’s in sizeable pieces, the following week it will be smashed by the tide into smaller pieces and then it will become tiny fragments.”

This is when it is likely to get into our food chain.

These guys are trying to save the rest of us from eating plastic and it is something to be applauded. Their entire motivation is to make the planet a better place.

Oli and Roy remove the litter

The pair have become so committed, they now take time out from their day jobs to beach clean. Roy is an auto electrician and Oli is a plasterer.

“I told my clients that I am no longer available on Friday,” said Oli. “It’s the day I beach clean.” Roy is about to undertake a countryside ranger apprenticeship with the Jurassic Coast Trust and clearly wants to make a difference by changing direction in his career.

Their most curious beach find has to be false teeth. The most staggering is a Smarties’ lid estimated to be over 30 years old, which was in immaculate condition. And the most upsetting? “I found a dead dolphin,” said Oli. And though they don’t remove or touch dead sea animals, which should break down naturally (unless full of plastic), Oli did report the dolphin to Dorset Wildlife Trust.

So, what are the next steps for these passionate guys who want to make a difference? “We want to create a network of beach cleaners from Exmouth to Studland and get together as a team and start a calendar of beach cleans for people to get involved,” said Roy, who also gives educational talks to schools. His message is strong. He says, “If everybody picked up two pieces of litter a day, it WILL make a difference.”

Roy and Oli would like to encourage everyone to take part in the Great Dorset Beach Clean over the weekend of 18 and 19 April.

“I will be heading up teams of kayakers to reach beaches that are not easily accessible,” said Roy. Oli will be working with the Square and Compass at Worth Matravers on a beach clean.

If you want to get involved with the Clean Jurassic Coast project for the future of our planet, email cleanjurassiccoast@gmail.com or find Oli on instagram @_projectplanet_ or visit cleanjurassiccoast.uk for more information.