SSEN volunteers have collected more than 400 pieces of plastic along the Dorset in a bid to clean up beaches.

The initiative supported the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch programme and was a gesture of good will to give back to the Boscombe community while in development of SSEN’s £12 million re-cabling and upgrade programme.

A team of volunteers surveyed a 100-metre stretch of Boscombe Beach to collect litter data for the Marine Conservation Society.

During the clean, they collected various items, including a plastic toy fish, over 200 cigarette butts and more than 400 plastic particles. 

Steph Lowe, Procurement and Commercial Manager said:  “We expected to find large pieces of plastic, ropes, and fishing nets. However, it wasn’t until we looked closely that we saw how much microplastic and rubbish was hidden on the beach. 

“We collected and recorded over 400 tiny plastic fragments - less than 1cm in size - for the Marine Conservation Society to use in their data trending.”

Steph continued: “This was a great team effort and through initiatives like the Beachwatch programme and beach cleans, we are doing our bit to help rid the natural environment of harmful litter.”

Michael Deans, Senior Project Manager for the works added:  “I’m very proud to see our Procurement and Commercial colleagues getting out into the community to give back and volunteer for an important cause. 

“As a company committed to environmental sustainability, we believe it’s essential to take action to protect our natural resources. As our Boscombe Network Improvement programme progresses, we look forward to using more of our ‘Be the Difference’ volunteer days to give back to the community we’re working in.”

SSEN is currently investing £12 million to improve electricity networks for homes and businesses in the Boscombe, Christchurch, and Bournemouth by being more resilient and flexible while supporting the coastal community’s move towards net zero. 

The multi-million pound upgrade began on September 30 and is set to be completed in 2026.

The highly-anticipated upgrade will future-proof the local electricity network for almost 200,000 customers in the area.