WHO are Litter Free Coast and Sea Somerset?

Litter Free Coast and Sea Somerset (LFCSS) is a community engagement project, aiming to protect bathing water quality and reduce beach and marine litter along the Somerset coastline by encouraging local communities to consider their own impacts on water quality and marine litter.

LFCSS is the flagship project of the Severn Estuary Partnership, which is hosted by Cardiff University, with support from Wessex Water, the Environment Agency and Sedgemoor District Council.

What do they do?

LFCSS works together with local communities, businesses and individuals across Somerset to help them understand how to take care of their coast and where they can, reduce their impact on the environment. The project does this through:

• Empowering local people, businesses, schools and communities to take action to reduce marine and beach litter and improve bathing water quality.

• Encouraging people to get involved with the campaign, supporting new local projects that get people interested.

• Educating on the impact of litter and water quality across all age groups.

• Promoting positive solutions and sharing successes, results, and research.

Project Expansion to West Somerset

Since its establishment, the project has focused in and around Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow and Brean, following Burnham-on-Sea’s classification of ‘poor’ bathing water quality in 2016. However, LFCSS are excited to announce 5 years of funding from Wessex Water which will allow for expansion of the project remit into West Somerset, with a focus on Minehead, Porlock, Blue Anchor and Dunster. LFCSS’s focus for the next two years will be Minehead and Porlock (2020/21).

LFCSS would like to hear from local community members, interest groups, businesses and schools in Minehead and Porlock who are passionate about taking care of their local environment. We want to know:

• Are there any key environmental issues you would like to be addressed?

• Are you aware of any relevant existing local interest groups/individuals that you would like us to know about?

• Would you be interested in rolling out one of LFCSS existing project and campaigns locally?

• Have you got an idea for a project/campaign that you would like LFCSS to support or develop?

• Are you interested in becoming a volunteer for LFCSS?

For more information about LFCSS project work and campaigns, please visit their website: www.litterfreecoastandsea.com/Somerset or get in touch via email litterfreesomerset@gmail.com.

Follow LFCSS on Social Media for regular updates on projects and campaigns: Facebook: Litter Free Somerset, Twitter: @LFCSSomerset, Instagram: @SevernEstuary