Coastal clean up award for the Causeway Coast Kayak Association

Managed by TIDY Northern Ireland, the awards reward outstanding efforts by individuals and groups to clean up beaches, from Benone on the North Coast right through to Cranfield Beach under the shadow of the Mournes.

The Causeway Coast Kayak Association consists of 150 young people learning canoeing and other skills all year round have been involved in major clean ups as part of their programme of events cleaning sections of coastline around Ramore Head as well as inland waterways including the Roe and Bann rivers working with Limavady and Coleraine Borough Councils, Loughs Agency, PSNI and angling groups lifting skip loads of rubbish from inaccessible stretches of shoreline.

Also shortlisted for the award were Millisle Youth Forum and Fairview Primary School.

Another local winner was Matt Wright, who runs a coasteering company on the Causeway Coast. He picked up the Photograph of the Year Award His picture was taken near Dunluce Castle, of himself diving into a rock pool on a clear day.

“I run a coasteering company on the Causeway Coast and see fantastic sights every time we go around the coast. I’ve been working on this particular shot for a couple of years and have a number of images that are very similar to this one.”

Presenting the awards, Environment Minister Attwood said: “We all have a role to play in keeping our country litter free.

“It is great to see community and youth groups taking pride in their own neighbourhood and doing something about littering which is such a blight on our coast and around our inland waterways.”