ONLY a few weeks ago we were busily rushing around through life and concentrating on careers, money, planning the next holiday, admiring footballers, film stars and musicians, thinking about ourselves . . . but now it’s all changed. Suddenly, the things that truly matter in life are at the forefront. Family, friends, loved ones, people…
These are life-changing moments, but they are also linked to sadness because this will change many families, and our thoughts go out to everyone directly affected by today’s situation. But, in the midst of this chaos, this can also be an opportunity for good things to happen. Over this last 20-30 years the world has…
BEACH Buddies has been interviewed for a podcast by “Island Influencers” which is now available online. Sincerest thanks to the person behind this – Sharon Sutton – for choosing Beach Buddies to be the subject. You can listen to the interview via the link below:- https://tunein.com/…/Business-…/Island-Influencers-p1307325/
OUR very good friends at the fabulous “Wine Down” restaurant in Douglas are now offering a home delivery service from a special menu. Orders for delivery need to be received by 5pm and they will endeavour to deliver between 6pm and 8.30pm. Deliveries are available in Douglas, Onchan and Braddan every day (except Sunday), the…
Beach Buddies has received a large number of messages asking our advice on whether beach cleaning activities should continue in the current circumstances. For those who go out on their own, or in very small groups with friends or family, then the current situation (at the moment) is that we believe it’s OK. We…
BEACH Buddies is delighted that lots of people in the Ravenglass area of the Lake District are regularly involved in beach cleaning activities, making a real difference to their beautiful coastline. After such a stormy winter there has been lots to do lately, and we’ve just received a report today (March 14th 2020) about how…
There will be a brief break from beach cleaning this weekend, and Beach Buddies will be back in action again on Sunday, March 22nd.
Sadly, due to a very poor weather forecast, the “Lanterns on the Lake” event at Onchan Park has been called off for Saturday, March 14th and will now be held on Saturday, March 28th (subject to confirmation).
ON International Women’s Day Beach Buddies is delighted to say that females dominated our session today at Langness. We had 78 volunteers in total, and 58 of them were female, ranging in all ages from a lovely little 2 year old taking part for the first time to two grandmothers who clean up with…
A TRIP south to the Langness peninsula is the destination this weekend for Beach Buddies on Sunday morning. Earlier this week we hosted a big group of cruise ship passengers at Castletown Bay and Derbyhaven, and we found large amounts of rubbish. So, we’re going back again – this time to Langness, meeting at 10.30am…
WE VERY much like volunteers to bring their families and dogs to beach cleaning events. All are welcome. In particular, we like dogs with well behaved owners! However, we have had the vary rare occasion when volunteers have brought dogs which have been rather boisterous in the car park, just before they can get to…
FINAL plans have been put together for a world-first event when cruise ship passengers will take part in cleaning beaches when they arrive in the Isle of Man on Monday. More than 200 cruise visitors are lined up to travel to beaches in the south of the Island on Monday morning in an event organised…
THOUSANDS of small pieces of polystyrene are the target this weekend for Beach Buddies, after finding the river and beach at Ballaugh covered following the recent storms. Volunteers who visit this beach regularly have reported that there are also huge numbers of nurdles – the tiny pieces of micro plastics which are commonplace elsewhere, but…
A BIG shout-out to the pupils and teachers at Onchan School who used litterpickers donated by Beach Buddies for a community village clean-up. The school’s Eco Warrior Club decided to clean up the village’s community park and were shocked by how much rubbish they found. Now the school plans to send out a different class…
A BIG shout-out to the pupils and teachers at Onchan School who used litterpickers donated by Beach Buddies for a community village clean-up. The school’s Eco Warrior Club decided to clean up the village’s community park and were shocked by how much rubbish they found. Now the school plans to send out a different class…
BEACH Buddies received the sort of message this week which gives you hope for the future and also a boost to the many thousands of people on our beautiful island who have made such a difference in recent years. It came from Nick Wilkie who very recently visited Fleshwick to clean up and found that…
BEACH Buddies is changing one of the venues for Sunday’s beach cleaning session – because local volunteers have already cleaned the beach! We will go ahead with the event at Spaldrick in Port Erin, but the planned trip to Fleshwick Bay has been switched, because the beach has been left spotless by enthusiastic locals who…
THE Half Term event planned for Peel tomorrow (Friday 21st) has been cancelled because of the weather forecast for westerly storms and rain. The weekend volunteer event on Sunday will go ahead, as the weather forecast is much better, taking place at 10.30am at both Spaldrick and Fleshwick beaches.
“I am pleased to hear how you have significantly raised awareness about the world’s marine environment. . . I send you good wishes for your continuing success in encouraging the introduction of similar programmes across the world.” Queen Elizabeth II “Best wishes for your Beach Buddies’ work.” Prince Charles “Through Beach Buddies you are pioneering…
Beach Buddies is running a series of events during Half Term week:- Tues Feb 18: 11am. Ramsey (slipway opp. Rugby Club) Weds, Feb 19: 11am. Castletown Bay (Hango Hill car park) Thurs, Feb 20: 12noon: Douglas (slipway opp. Broadway) Fri Feb 21: 2pm: Fenella Beach, Peel.
THE stormy weather still threatens for the weekend, but at the moment we still are planning to go to the beaches of Spaldrick and Fleshwick this weekend for our beach cleaning events. We will have trucks at both beaches from 10.30am to 12 noon on Sunday, February 16th, so you have a choice. However,…
STAFF at Swagelok have chosen Beach Buddies as the latest recipient of a generous donation made from the proceeds of the company’s regular dress-down days. Beach Buddies was in the top four nominated by staff and subsequently received funds donated plus another £50 paid by the company in lieu of Christmas card expenditure. The company’s…
HUNDREDS of cruise ship passengers visiting the Isle of Man during March will take part in beach cleaning sessions with Beach Buddies on the southern coastline. Beach Buddies is teaming up with Cruise Isle of Man to host the events for passengers on two Hurtigruten cruises which visit the Isle of Man on March 2nd…
BEACH Buddies is delighted to announce that our headline sponsorship with FIM Capital has been renewed for 2020 and for the foreseeable future. We have had a really good relationship with FIM Capital for the last three years, and they have given significant other support for Beach Buddies in many very useful ways, and have…
THE recent excellent article by National Geographic has added to a quite amazing year for Beach Buddies in terms of publicity around the world. It started with a major 2-page feature in The Guardian newspaper, (5.4 million online readers), a BBC news documentary which ended up on BBC World News (232 million viewers), further coverage…
WE have found three mobile phones in recent weeks, one of which was miraculously reunited with its owner on the spot at the clean-up event at the Mooragh Park lake in Ramsey. He had dropped it off the side of a kayak around three months previously, so it was great to return it immediately. Not…
BEACH Buddies would like to pay tribute to the wonderful Debbie Pitts who sadly passed away this week. Debbie was a really genuine and lovely person who will be very sorely missed by so many people, especially the people of Douglas where she was a hard working Councillor and honoured as being appointed Mayor for…
The Isle of Man has received extensive worldwide publicity with a major feature by National Geographic which is now online. National Geographic has a global reach with 60,645,765 online unique users. The article was written by freelance reporter and photographer Kingsley Singleton who visited the Isle of Man for the first time last summer. The…
A NEW Beach Buddies bin is now in place on Laxey promenade, thanks to the generosity of Laxey School. The money to buy the bin was raised through a variety of school activities and was officially launched this week by the school’s “Eco Buddies” who have regular meetings to discuss ideas and projects to benefit…
The announcement today that National Geographic (probably the most respected magazine in the world) has published a major feature on the Isle of Man covering Beach Buddies, DEFA’s marine conservation programme and the Isle of Man’s unique UNESCO Biosphere status is probably the best positive publicity the Isle of Man has ever achieved. It shows…
The Isle of Man has received extensive worldwide publicity with a major feature by National Geographic which is now online. National Geographic has a global reach with 60,645,765 online unique users. The article was written by freelance reporter and photographer Kingsley Singleton who visited the Isle of Man for the first time last summer. The…
THE Isle of Man’s young people are setting a fantastic example to everyone as we begin the new year. After hearing about the story of 7 year old Eleanor Cain asking for a litterpicker and hi-viz vest for her top Christmas present, and then embarking on a clean-up around her home, in the plantation and…
A SEVEN year old is on a mission to clean up the Isle of Man after receiving the perfect Christmas present. Eleanor Cain, from Crosby, asked for a litterpicker and hi-viz vest as her main gifts from Father Christmas, and just a few days later she took her family for a clean-up on Peel beach, then…
BEACH Buddies has been interviewed by Paul Moulton at the New Year Dip in Douglas and the video is now available to view on the following link:-
EARLY notice – this coming weekend we are joining with the Manx Tri Club again to clean up the Mooragh Park lake. You will definitely need wellies! If you missed this last year, you missed probably the best event of the year! Last year we joined together for the first time for a memorable afternoon,…
THE first event of 2020 was held on Sunday, January 5th at Ballaugh and we had a great turnout in very cold conditions of 83 volunteers. Best of all, 14 of these were new faces, including two families who said they had a great time and will be coming back again. New volunteers…
Photographs from today’s fantastic Douglas New Year’s Dip, which raised money for Breast Cancer Now and Beach Buddies, are now on the Beach Buddies Facebook page. Many thanks to main sponsors Canada Life International and also to The Coastguard, St John Ambulance and the RNLI. Without the continuing support of these organisations, the event could not…
BEACH Buddies hosts more than 200 events each year and everyone is welcome to join in at any time. We hold events with schools, companies, clubs, families – everyone! We are very happy to also host a private event for family and friends on a beach of your choice – or, if you prefer, a…
THE TWO charities Breast Cancer Now and Beach Buddies are planning to break the record for the Douglas Dip on New Year’s Day, which takes place from 12.30pm opposite the Queen’s Hotel. A new record was created last year, when the two charities linked up for the first time, and the organisers are hoping…
BEACH Buddies is again teaming up with our very good friends at the charity Breast Cancer Now on New Year’s Day for the Douglas Dip, opposite the Queen’s Hotel. We need lots of volunteers for just an hour or so to help with the organisation – we had a new record number of dippers last…
Following an unfortunate incident this weekend, it’s been suggested that a Beach Buddies “volunteer” took a big pile of books out of the Beach Buddies bin in Ramsey and chucked them in the road. To give our official view: we don’t really care what goes into the bins (to a point), and we would encourage…
BEACH Buddies has been nominated for an award from the Institute of Directors North West. The award is for Director of the Year Third Sector. Entries will close in January when the short-lIsted entrants will be informed before the awards are presented in early 2020. • Beach Buddies is sponsored by FIM Capital. www.fimcapital.co.im
A PROPOSAL made by Beach Buddies at the EuroMAB biennial conference in Dublin earlier this year has been adopted by UNESCO and will be rolled out in 120 countries which host a total of 669 Biosphere Reserves. UNESCO has approved the proposal, backed by the Isle of Man Government, which urges all biosphere reserves around…
BEACH Buddies can officially announce that the landmark figure of 15,000 volunteers has been achieved in recent weeks. This means 15,000 different individual volunteers have now been involved in beach and community clean-up sessions with Beach Buddies since volunteer team events started in 2012-13. We started with two volunteers and five dogs in 2006 !…
BEACH Buddies was sorry to hear of the passing of Roger Watterson, former MHK and best known as a political commentator and host on Manx Radio. Roger had some very kind words for us, and he featured Beach Buddies a number of times on his “Sunday Opinion” programme. He also mentioned us many times when…
BEACH Buddies is honoured to be invited to take part in the ever popular Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce members Christmas lunch in December. Guest speaker this year is Bill Dale, founder of Beach Buddies Isle of Man. He will talk to members about the on-going projects Beach Buddies is undertaking, the…
BEACH Buddies is joining forces with University College Isle of Man (UCIOM) and Dave Smyth to beat the record for the most men taking part in a yoga session in the Isle of Man – at the NSC on November 19th. It will be a very relaxing and enjoyable event, even if you have…
BEACH Buddies has had a very nice surprise with a letter and a donation from the staff of RL360. The staff chose Beach Buddies to receive their donation, which amounted to a very healthy £552, which we will use to continue our work not just cleaning beaches but also our extensive education programme in all…
THE beach cleaning event hosted by Beach Buddies in Brighton, only yards from the Labour Party Conference, in conjunction with the Chief Minister and the Isle of Man Government, made us realise that the achievements of the people of the Isle of Man are much better known than we realised. Numerous complete strangers knew all…
BEACH Buddies has had a wonderful surprise and a great donation, thanks to Ernie Russell, owner of Governor’s Hill Spar store in Onchan.Customers have been paying 5p for their shopping bags, and it was decided that the small profit on each bag would be donated to a worthy local charity, and this time the store…
India’s Prime Minister, Narenda Modi, has been followed by the media as he picks up rubbish on a beach. Brilliant. By sheer coincidence, only this last few days Beach Buddies has been asked to start a beach cleaning organisation in Kerala (southern tip of India). India is the source of unbelievably massive amounts of rubbish…
THE Isle of Arran and the Isle of Man have joined forces to tackle the issue of marine litter and beach cleaning, with the announcement of the creation of ‘Isle of Arran Beach Buddies’. The link-up is the first inter-island connection on beach cleaning expertise by the charity Beach Buddies which was formed in the…
THE FIRST inter-island connection on beach cleaning expertise has been created between the Isle of Man and the Isle of Arran, following a visit to the Scottish isle by the Manx charity. The Isle of Arran is now linked to the Isle of Man to share knowledge and statistics on beach cleaning, with plans to…
RED COLOUR IN THE SEA COMES WITH AN UNEXPECTED BONUS WE HAVE had a report from regular Beach Buddies’ volunteer and very keen supporter Gill Skinner that some major discolouration of the sea has been spotted on Douglas beach. This is something which happened last year during the hot spell of weather around the same…
