Cósta Glan agus Glass in Falcarragh has been awarded a Clean Coasts’ Ocean Hero Recognition Award for 2020.
The clean-up group is being recognised in the ‘Longterm Commitment’ category for their work keeping the coastline beautiful in North West Donegal.
Mary McGarvey from Cósta Glan agus Glass An Fhal Carraigh said: “Falcarragh Clean Coast Group is a group of volunteers who consider ourselves lucky to have our two wonderful beaches Ballyness Beach and Drumnatinney Beach on our doorstep. We simply love and appreciate the beauty they offer to our community.”
This week Clean Coasts will recognise the work of some outstanding volunteer groups across Ireland by highlighting outstanding groups and individuals with Ocean Hero Recognition Awards.
The Clean Coasts programme is Ireland’s foremost community-based coastal education programme, which counts on the work of over 1,200 volunteer groups nationwide.
Every year, Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Awards honour the invaluable contribution Clean Coasts volunteers, groups and communities have made towards conserving our spectacular coastline.
It has been an unusual year and, like everyone, Clean Coasts and their volunteers have had to adapt to the situation. The continued support, engagement and interest from the many Clean Coasts volunteers around the country has been outstanding, showing dedication and resilience through these testing times.
Many Clean Coast volunteers around the country made a great effort to carry out beach cleans while following government guidelines and restrictions, for example dividing stretches of coastline to be cleaned, setting up online event registration to ensure numbers were capped and putting extra measures in place for sanitisation of equipment.
In a nod to the Ocean Hero Awards which Clean Coasts, the work of these dedicated groups and individuals will be highlighted in a week of online celebrations, from 14th – 20th December sharing their stories, achievements and advice for how other groups can get back on track in 2021.
‘At a time when we usually celebrate our Ocean Hero Awards, we want to take a moment to recognise those groups and individuals who have gone ‘above and beyond’ to protect our coast this year and to celebrate our long-standing volunteers. ’ Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager.