The Big Brighton Pride Beach Clean

Client:

Location:

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.

My work: 

  • Consulting on best practises from my experience running a community silent disco beach clean initiative for 5 years.

  • Securing Partnerships: Collaborated with Oceans 8 Brighton to establish a partnership with 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.

  • Volunteer Coordination: Recruited and trained volunteers, preparing them to assist with event operations and engage participants effectively.

  • Logistics Management: Arranged the rental of silent disco headphones, litter-picking tools, safety gear, marquees, refreshments and banners to create a safe and enjoyable environment.

  • Waste Disposal: Coordinated waste collection efforts to ensure proper disposal and recycling of the collected litter.

  1. On-Site Leadership: Managed one of the seafront stations, providing technical support to the other to ensure smooth operations across the board.

Brighton Pride

Brighton, UK

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.