THANKS to a team of volunteers from a local housebuilder Perranporth Beach underwent a summer clean up.

The technical team from Exeter-based Wain Homes South West spent the day clearing the sands of rubbish as part of the company’s Helping Hands initiative after being inspired by a presentation from marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage

Helping Hands sees every employee of Wain Homes given a day out of the business to volunteer their time to support charities and organisations in their local communities and was launched to mark the company’s 50th anniversary in 2022.

Pete Wallis, development project manager at Wain Homes, said: “Surfers Against Sewage gave us a really interesting and insightful presentation on the impact of pollution on our oceans and this, coupled with feedback we read from members of the local community who were unhappy with the condition of the beach, gave us the determination to give something back and go and make a positive difference in this lovely part of the world.

“We lost count of the amount of sacks of rubbish we collected but all the effort was worth it, knowing we were doing our bit to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean whilst also improving every visitor’s experience of Perranporth.”

Wain Homes is currently building a collection of energy efficient new homes at its Trevemper development in nearby Newquay where it recently opened the doors to a new show home.

The Trevemper development is governed by a comprehensive sustainability strategy which will include transport, energy use and generation, water use and conservation, minimising construction waste and using local Cornish materials wherever possible.

Pete Wallis, who was joined on the beach tidy by colleagues Mark Patten, George Champion, Andrew Darnes, Lizzie Woodgate, Sally Walton and Jerry Dalton, added: “Our role as a responsible builder means we care about the communities we build in and with many of our team based locally, this was a project close to our hearts.

“It isn’t the first time we have spent the day tidying this beach and I’m sure we’ll be back again in the future as the condition of Cornwall’s beaches is so important to the local economy and general marine wildlife.”

Any charities or community groups who would like to request a team of Helping Hands from Wain Homes South West can email [email protected]