Volunteers praised for Coastal Clean Up Day in Connah’s Quay

Flintshire County Council’s Access and Natural Environment Team and ‘Keep Wales Tidy’ have praised volunteers who gave up their time to help to clean up the marine habitat at Connah’s Quay Docks - a key hub in the Flintshire Coast Park.

The Coast Park celebrates the rich natural habitat of the Dee Estuary and Flintshire Coastline and is hugely significant in ensuring people have access to the natural environment for recreation and to improve their health and wellbeing. 

Reaching across the Flintshire coast from Saltney to Talacre, it takes in the Northern Gateway and Garden City, Connah’s Quay and Shotton, Flint, Bagillt, Greenfield, Llanerch-y-mor and Mostyn, and Gronant.  

The Connah’s Quay ‘Coastal Clean Up Day’ brought together volunteers from Connah’s Quay Sea Cadets, Deeside Wildfowlers, Earth Care Group and local residents. They worked to clear the area of litter and rubbish, and enjoyed learning about the works undertaken to date to improve the area. 

The event was organised by the Coastal Ranger, in partnership with ‘Keep Wales Tidy’ and was funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Volunteers learned about the species that can be seen at the docks and were given refreshments as part of the event.

Connah’s Quay Docks is an important location in Flintshire, ever popular with walkers, cyclists and families who enjoy walking and wheeling alongside the Dee Estuary – a hugely significant habitat for marine life and migratory birds.

Flintshire Coast Park benefited from UK Government Shared Prosperity Funding from 2023 and throughout 2024 to improve the area for the benefit of Flintshire residents and visitors.  Flintshire County Council has been successful in securing UKSPF funds for an additional year to further develop and progress works associated with the Flintshire Coast Park, benefitting from £238,652.40 of funding.

Kelly Eustace, OiC, Connah’s Quay Sea Cadets, said:

“This was a great event to be part of. The cadets learned so much about the wildlife and why the Dee Estuary and the docks are so important. Thanks to Mike Taylor, Coastal Ranger from Flintshire Access & Natural Environment for organising it, and Keep Wales Tidy for their donation of litter picking kits and PPE for us to keep. We really enjoyed being ‘Coastal Custodians’ for the day and look forward to using the donated kit again to keep the area safe for wildlife and looking good for people visiting the docks.”

Carolyne Prew, Flintshire project officer from Keep Wales Tidy, added:

“It’s great to work in partnership and see first-hand how the donated litter kits have been put to good use to make Connah’s Quay Docks better for everyone. There really is strength in numbers. Thank you to everyone who came along and volunteered their time”

Any organisations interested in personalised events to become ‘Coastal Custodians’ for the day can contact: 

countryside@flintshire.gov.uk

For more information on Flintshire Coast Park:

Click here