Local Muslim Community Continues Its Campaign to Tidy Local Beauty Spots
Volunteers from the Bradford community of Dawoodi Bohras teamed up with the Marine Conservation Society on Sunday for a beach clean-up at Hornsea in East Yorkshire.
To help keep one of Britain’s beaches beautiful and the ocean safe for wildlife, the local Muslim community collected 10 kilos of litter, including a sizeable quantity of microplastics large enough to see with the naked eye.
Kate Whitton-Brown, Community Engagement Manager of Marine Conservation Society, commented, “What a brilliant day – thank you so much to everyone for all your beach cleaning efforts! We collected 10 kilos of litter from Hornsea beach – fantastic! I am looking forward to working with you all again soon.”
Najmuddin Master, a representative of the Dawoodi Bohras said, “The Dawoodi Bohras of Bradford regularly undertake clean-ups of parks and rivers as part of Project Rise, our global initiative to support vulnerable members of society and help protect and enhance the natural environment. We are excited to be partnering with the Marine Conservation Society and supporting their important work here in Yorkshire.”
According to the Marine Conservation Society, Microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring less than 5 millimeters in size that have a detrimental impact on the natural environment, as well as wildlife and human health. Microplastics are often used in personal care products such as toothpaste and shower gel, or industrial abrasives used for sandblasting or polishing. They can also form through the degradation of larger plastics, such as plastic bags or tyres.
Najmuddin Master continued, “Microplastics are difficult to see. They often end up in water bodies, including oceans and freshwater systems, where they can be ingested by marine organisms and accumulated in the food chain, causing a variety of health problems. It is essential that we all play our part in reducing our use of microplastics as much as we can.”
The Hornsea beach clean-up was the latest event in the Dawoodi Bohras campaign to tidy local beauty spots. The Bohras recently joined the Aire Rivers Trust to help tidy and clear paths along the River Aire in Kirkstall. In 2021, members of the local Dawoodi Bohra community stepped up to help Bradford Council’s ‘Tree for Every Child’ scheme by volunteering to plant trees in Newhall Park.