Protecting our planet:
By Brian Mayne.
Why I’m taking a ‘Dip a Day’ during October
This edition’s column by local environmentalist Brian Mayne highlights the reasons he will be taking a ‘Dip a Day’ throughout October to raise awareness and ocean-saving funds.
I HAVE decided to join over 4,500 volunteers throughout the UK to take on a new cold water challenge this month – an initiative organised by the leading marine campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).
SAS is known for its community activism and ambitious campaigns to tackle plastic pollution, sewage pollution, and ocean recovery. SAS support to communities includes kitting out volunteers for litter picks at beaches, streets, rivers, parks or mountains as part of the ‘Million Mile Clean’.
Another major campaign run by SAS is to end sewage pollution at our beaches. Only this summer there have been several alerts at Welsh beaches including Porthcawl. Sewage was discharged at both Rest Bay and Sandy Bay, which led to the local surf club cancelling lessons due to concerns about people’s health.
There have also been reports of untreated waste being released from combined sewer overflows (CSOs), in the old harbour and at Barry Docks this year. CSOs stop sewage from backing up in our homes and garden during periods of heavy rain. SAS has developed a free ‘Safer Seas & Rivers Service’ app which monitors the water quality at over 400 locations around UK rivers and coastlines – ensuring your trip to the beach is not currently at risk from any water quality issues.
Other factors affect water quality that need to be addressed such as litter, agricultural pollution and misconnections between sewage and water pipes. And it’s not just our seaside but our rivers that are also contaminated. Let’s not forget that for our ocean to thrive we must look to the source that feeds it – our rivers.
At present, there is just one official Bathing Water located on a UK river. SAS is calling for the UK Government and the devolved administrations to set legally binding targets to increase the number of Official River Bathing Waters in the UK and work with regulators and communities to ensure the target is delivered.
Against this background, I’m keen to provide what little support I can and it’s great to know that every penny raised will play a vital role in fuelling ocean saving work, according to Sophie Brandon, community fundraising officer at SAS
Apart from raising funds, taking a cool dip a day is, I am informed, an opportunity to boost my wellbeing as well as raising funds. So, if you do see me taking a dip on Barry Island, say hello, or even join me.
PLUS COLUMN PIC – Column Brian Mayne
- The views expressed by columnists of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Glamorgan Star, its employees or its proprietors
🌟 This article first appeared in the printed edition of the Glamorgan Star on 06.10.22. Read it in print first!
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