Brief for the day
Basically we decided that the problem was too urgent to leave until May especially as this was likely not be a one off; we looked at the tides for the weekends and chose Saturday the 24th of February 2018 as the weekend tide was right to accommodate a 10am start and briefing and 11am start on site and a finish between 2.30 and 3pm at the latest.
The task of clearing the plastic off the shore-line is challenging beyond the normal beach clean-ups, hence the complexity of the detailed brief laid out in detail below
The plan is to have 12 teams (or more) of 5 to cover approximately 25 metres of shore-line each, but this will be flexible on the day depending on the rubbish accumulated in each sector.
The age limit is set at 14 years and over, between 14 and 16 to be accompanied by an adult (an over 18 years old)
Some members of the Organising Team have undertaken Safe-Guarding training and will be in a position to assist where necessary.
After a 10am start in the RSPB Salt Lane car park, Cliffe, a briefing will take place given by David Saunders (RSPB Volunteer) and the assembled will be invited to split into teams of 5 bearing in mind the task in hand and instruction/criteria given at the time. Each team will appoint a leader who will be in charge.
It is a 30-45 minute hike out on plot and of course the same back on completion or a 1.6 mile drive to the seawall car-park and up to a mile walk to the furthest plot
It is hoped that each team will have at least one with a vehicle and are willing to transport colleagues out to the sea wall. It is expected the cinder-track to the venue will be prepared and repaired by the Environment Agency.
The river is flanked by a 1.2 metre high and 50cm wide concrete sea-wall which itself it set up on an approx. 3 metre high earth bank. To gain access to the tide-line people have to tackle the 45 degree grassed bank to the sea-wall, scale that and descend the similarly angled concrete apron down to the rubbish.
The shore-line and foreshore comes under the jurisdiction and ownership of The Port of London Authority as is the land land-side of the seawall and they have kindly allowed access to both.
We envisage two of the team accessing the foreshore utilising the two metal ladders assisting each other in the task.
Two will collect the plastic and take it to the 3rd member who will bag it and pass it over the wall to the 3rd member (likely the Team Leader) who will take/pass it down to the 4th and 5th members where any sorting and or data collection will take place and removal to the skip lorry. This arrangement will have to be flexible depending on the weather/rubbish on the day.
Norse through Pindens have kindly agreed to supply the skip lorry which should be large enough to contain the majority of plastic, in addition they will supply 60 pairs of protective gloves and 24 litter-pickers, five sharps bins and a 1000 black bags.
Medway Council have agreed, along with Norse and The Guardians of the Deep to apply due diligence to the matter of disposal and recycling of the collected plastic if possible. Having spoken with the skip company Pindens. I am assured 100% of that collected will in some way be recycled. This is a massive bonus as the original object is and always has been the removal of the distasteful and unacceptable amount of plastic waste we have allowed to accumulate on the Southern shore of one of our Country’s premier rivers.
The matter of insurance is arranged, Belinda Lamb from The Guardians of the Deep informs me that if all volunteers are registered and under the ‘umbrella’ of our ‘organised clean-up they will be automatically insured.
Refreshments: It was decided refreshments and drinks would be down to individuals to supply. That said, gloves will be removed and supplied hand wipes utilised taking into account the slight possibility of Leptospirosis infected articles and other water-borne infections.
It is agreed that well before the event (now just one week away), emails will go out to volunteers, 40% of whom will have to be fit enough to get over the sea wall. Please bear in mind the vast majority of you are unknown to me I am reliant of individual’s self assessing their capabilities to complete their allotted tasks.
All volunteers must assume personal responsibility to ensure they are fit and well enough for the task ahead on an isolated and remote area of the North Kent Marshes, appropriate clothing must be worn for the weather of the day and forecast for maybe later in the day. An important factor is good footwear, no trainers etc. Good grip is essential and good linear support to the foot and ankle is advisable.
PPE; Personal Protection Equipment ie gloves and Hand wash will be distributed on the day.
The enormity of the task is not to be under estimated, but it is both necessary and achievable, it is up to the individual to look at the the task, looking at photos and decide for themselves whether it is something they wish to undertake.
I would never presume to tell any person what they are/aren't capable of, it is up to each individual to throw their hat into the ring where they feel most comfortable.
First Aid will be on hand and available on the day.
A Risk Assessment has been undertaken and agreed. Should anyone get injured and require outside medical attention details of local Doctors and the nearest hospital along with emergency numbers and ambulance access, OIS references are included, should an ambulance be required if it is safe to do the injured person will be ferried back to meet the ambulance at the Salt Lane Car park.
The area to be covered is from Redham Mead Gate to Lower Hope Point, between the crosses on the OIS map below.
Courtesy of Medway Council it is hoped to have Porta Loos on site.
Copies of the Risk assessment will be posted around the assembly points for cascading on the day.
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.