Friends Of Redcar: FRED and Co tackle the Redcar Coatham Marshes

Monday, 16 March 2015

FRED and Co tackle the Redcar Coatham Marshes

We'd like to say thank you so much to our community for their efforts on Sunday 15th March 2015. On Mothers Day over 60 people came out throughout the day to remove the rubbish and litter that had blown in or had been dumped there over the past decade and more.

You guys, from our communities who turned out and volunteered to give some love and attention to the Redcar Coatham Marshes should be rightly proud of the work you did. As a member of FRED, a community group working to improve the aesthetics and attractiveness of our home in Redcar to encourage better community adhesion and to bring in more visitors, tourism and trade, I was absolutely buzzing with pride.

Coatham Marshes are a beautiful place to visit, especially in the Summer when the reeds and the long grasses sway gently in the breeze creating a sea of gold in a very tranquil setting.

To see these areas blighted by fly tipping from industrial and household waste and from the uncaring attitudes of those littering the area with beer cans and drink bottles is shameful and what we as the owners of Redcar need to move away from if we are to continue to enjoy our open spaces.

Litter is endemic and tackling it will only get harder to manage with councils reducing services and attitudes hardening towards acceptance and worse ignorance. Our communities will either take to managing these areas through groups like our own or we will end up losing our natural environments as they become more unsightly and even dangerous from the selfish dumping of waste.

Thank you to all the well wishers prior and after our event it really is encouraging to know the enormous amount of residents our work affects and that what we are doing, matters. Also thank you to those who couldn't make it this time but wanted to come. There will be more opportunities as we take on this problem in Redcar head on.

But truly today belongs to you guys who turned out. We, alongside Zetland Pride, Friends of Dormanstown and the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust send to you an enormous heartfelt "thank you" to you who not only came from Redcar but also arrived from Saltburn, New Marske, Brotton, Stockton and Billingham. We also had an RSPB member (Richard Green) from Saltholme turn out and the probation service.

You've all done an amazing job and we are so grateful. We were even featured on BBC Look North and thank you to Lara and the camera lady for their coverage and the time spent with us.

Here in pictures is the story of the day. Once again Thank you 😘