A day at the beach? Here are some toys you can play with

Borrow a Bucket Not for Profit launch at Long Beach. John Hill from Acorn who made the boxes, Michele Peace (PraxisIFM, sponsor), Katie Betts (3), Lou Carson (Co-Founder), Rob Kelly ((TEAM, sponsor), Tim Townsend (Alex Forbes, sponsor), Tara Dolan (Co-Founder) Picture: JON GUEGAN. (33953411)

KEEPING children entertained at the beach has become easier following the launch of an initiative to supply buckets full of toys across the Island’s coastline.

The ‘Borrow a Bucket’ boxes, started by Louise Carson and Tara Dolan, allow beachgoers to borrow a number of beach toys such as buckets and spades, footballs and cricket sets from one of the many boxes which have been placed across the Island.

The toys are free to use and must be put back after use.

The initiative has been designed to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up on the beach and in landfills.

The boxes, which are sponsored by PraxisIFM and TEAM Asset Management, have been made by charity Acorn Enterprises. The majority of the featured toys have been collected from La Collette Recycling Centre.

Mrs Carson said: ‘I saw this idea operating around the world on Facebook and thought it would be a fantastic idea for our beaches too. I’m very passionate about reducing plastic waste in as many ways as possible and the boxes are a great way of reusing pre-loved toys and minimising the amount that ends up in the landfills.

‘It also supports people on limited budgets, giving them the opportunity to borrow items they might otherwise not be able to afford.’

Mrs Dolan added: ‘Many visitors buy buckets and spades to use during their holiday and can’t necessarily keep them to re-use, and I’m sure Islanders do too when storage isn’t easy. Unfortunately, these tend to end up in the waste cycle rather than being reused for the duration of their useful life.’

The pair is currently looking for a group of regular beach walkers who would be willing to monitor the boxes and make sure none of the toys are stolen or left on the beach.

Daniel Reynolds, managing director of PraxisIFM in Jersey, said that the scheme ‘beautifully fosters’ the Island’s ‘close-knit community spirit’ and made the beach a ‘more inclusive place to be’.

Mark Clubb, executive chairperson of TEAM, added that the initiative made trips to the beach ‘more affordable and less wasteful’.

Anyone wanting to get involved should contact louisecarson@outlook.com.

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