ABOUT OUR CREW

OUR ETHOS

Participants agree to honour the spirit of the Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew ethos
when participating in and conducting activities. We are committed to making a positive difference to the community and environment so all activities should be inspiring, engaging and respectful of the local community.

  • A non-confrontational and apolitical organisation: participants and activities must be peaceful and without political connection, content or bias.

  • Welcoming to communities of all nations, cultures, races and faiths: participants and activities must respect political, cultural, and religious differences and beliefs

  • Non-partisan: participants and activities must not promote partisan, political, cultural or religious viewpoints, or imply endorsement of partisanship by Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew.

  • A volunteer movement: people cannot be charged to be involved in activities nor can activities be conducted for commercial or financial gain.

  • Committed to the safety of volunteers: activities must be carried out in accordance with the local laws and regulations relevant to the activity.

  • Uniting communities as part of a national campaign: participants must respect the presence and activities of other participants in their proximity.

OUR GOALS

Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew is a non-profit charity run entirely by volunteers. No one gets paid. One easy thing you can do to help save our environment is to clean up rubbish. Pick up plastic, Styrofoam and other items from your local beach or area. Trash ends up in the ocean where it pollutes the environment and kills wildlife. Plastic in the ocean breaks down into such small segments that pieces of plastic from a one-litre bottle could end up on every mile of beach throughout the world.

It takes 1,000 years for plastic to degrade and one million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans. 44 per cent of all seabird species, 22 per cent of cetaceans, all sea turtle species and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies.

Please say no to plastic: Say no to soy fish containers, plastic bags, plastic straws and plastic bottles as a start. Bring your own coffee cup to the cafe and if you have forgotten it, get the takeaway coffee with no lid or give yourself a break and sit down and have your coffee in a porcelain cup. You can make a huge difference for this planet by changing some small everyday habits.

Thank you on behalf of the planet, oceans and the future of our children. We meet the last Sunday of every month at 10 a.m. to clean up a local beach or lagoon on Sydney’s northern beaches. All welcome. We are a friendly bunch. Do a good deed for the planet and make some new friends at the same time.

VOLUNTEER STATEMENTS

Our family has been attending these clean-ups regularly for over 5 years. Our children feel valued, a sense of accomplishment, and they really care about our environment. It's a fantastic way to 'be the change' and model that behaviour! Our family enjoys being part of such a friendly group of like-minded eco warriors. It's also kid friendly and a fantastic way for them to feel so important and a sense of accomplishment. It can be daunting to look at the state of our world and wonder how much of a difference you can really make. Being part of the crew helps show people that change really begins on a local level, and together, we do make a real difference. Our family finds volunteering with the Crew to be an easy and fulfilling opportunity to make a real difference and meet fantastic people. It's low-pressure, kid friendly, and we've been attending for 5+ years! Heather

I was brought up to care about nature and I hate seeing animals and sea creatures injured or killed by plastic waste. I feel we should all contribute towards looking after the beautiful environment we're lucky enough to call home and this is a simple way to do that. Amanda

It feels good knowing that you are removing plastic and other rubbish from the environment. Most of the rubbish would not breakdown and continue to accumulate unless people are motivated to remove it. The outcome is a healthier natural environment that is better for wildlife and people to enjoy. Pete

It means a lot to me to help at a beach clean up because it is a small contribution I can make personally to reduce rubbish on our beaches and in the ocean. I also feel I learn so much from the educators and conversations at the clean up. Esther

It’s not my rubbish, but it is my planet. A couple of hours a week is a small price to pay for improving the world we live in. I also think the clean ups are very important for their visual impact. At every clean up there are passers-by who ask what we are doing and how they can join in. It’s a chance to educate because education leads to change. Cathy

I find great reward in supporting an innovative and energetic team that dedicates such care to our fragile environment. The amazing example they set also stimulates the broader community to think deeply about issues of waste, packaging and litter. Guiding societal change in such a pragmatic way promises great hope for a better world. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Mal

I was and still regularly perform solitary rubbish cleanups. I found out about the crew from the monthly Frogmouth publication. The crew has a host of volunteers from all ages & nationalities with the combined goal of ridding the Northern Beaches from excessive litter which sadly has been increasing in recent years. Most important is the crew is an apolitical and friendly bunch which is what keeps me showing up each month. Mark