The Big Brighton Pride Beach Clean

Group of people in colorful vests labeled "Beach Clean" standing on a pebble beach with litter, facing the sea.

Dancing towards cleaner seas.

In 2019, inspired by my community group 'Pier2Pier Beach Clean,' Brighton Pride, Brighton & Hove City Council, and Oceans 8 Brighton teamed up to to launch the inaugural 'Big Pride Silent Disco Beach Clean.' The event drew over 1,000 enthusiastic volunteers who, grooving to silent disco beats, removed 2 tonnes of litter from Brighton Beach following the annual Pride parade.

Key Features:

  • Two hubs set up along the seafront operating from 7 am to 2 pm on the Sunday after Pride, with three clean-up sessions available to attend.

  • Equipped participants with litter pickers, bags, gloves, and silent disco headphones, turning the beach clean into a lively, music-infused group action.

  • Rewarded participants with free tickets to the Sunday Pride festival in Preston Park, encouraging community involvement.

  • All litter hand-sorted on site for waste and recycling.

Group of people at a beach cleanup event with artist and bags of collected trash
Yellow abstract starburst design with blue speckles
People photographing piles of garbage bags filled with plastic and cans.

My work:

🤝 Securing Partnerships

→ Collaborated with Oceans 8 Brighton to establish a partnership with Brighton Pride, the council and local businesses

🗓 Event Promotion

→ Worked with Oceans 8 to market the event, attracting a large group of volunteers ready to make a difference

💻 Logistics Management

→ Arranged the rental of all litter-picking, disco and safety equipment

→ Coordinated waste collection and recycling

🔥 Volunteer Coordination

→ Recruited and trained volunteers, preparing them to assist with event operations and engage participants effectively

📣 Consulting

→ Consulted the team on best practises from my experience running a community silent disco beach clean initiative for 5 years

🎉 Onsite Leadership

→ Managed one of the seafront stations, providing tech support to the other to ensure smooth operations across the board

Person in a pink outfit with a sequin sombrero and sunglasses standing outside with shutters in the background.
Yellow zigzag line on a black background

Impact:

The Big Pride Silent Disco Beach Clean garnered national and international media attention, highlighting the power of community action. With 1,000 volunteers removing 2 tonnes of waste, the event not only restored Brighton Beach after the biggest event in the city, but also set a precedent, becoming an annual post-Pride tradition. This initiative showcased how combining environmental stewardship with vibrant festivities can foster a sense of community and shared responsibility.

People wearing yellow safety vests at a table, one person holding headphones, with scooters in the foreground.
Yellow zigzag line on black background
People collecting litter on a beach with grabber tools and bags.
People picking up litter on a pebble beach near the ocean.

Client:

Brighton Pride

Illustrated globe in grayscale with yellow accents

Locations:

Brighton, UK