Boundary Oak School & Southsea Beach Café ‘Pay It Forward’ in the community with Big Beach Clean Up

Students, parents and teachers at Boundary Oak, an Independent Day and Boarding School in Fareham for 2 to 16 year-olds, recently organised a Big Beach Clean Up in partnership with Southsea Beach Café for Southsea Esplanade, as part of their ‘Pay It Forward’ initiative. ‘Pay It Forward’ is all about responding to acts of kindness by being kind to someone else in return and sees Boundary Oak’s students regularly support others within the school and local community.

The beach is currently the subject of the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defence project, stretching 4.5km and as the school’s local beach, Boundary Oak students wanted to ensure its coastline remained free of pollution. The event saw over 100 students bring their siblings, parents and grandparents to Southsea and spend the morning picking litter off the beach with the support of the local COLAS Team. Aside from many bottle tops, confectionary packaging, glass, and micro-plastics, the students were also able to remove two large disposable BBQs.

The event attracted the interest of hospitality business, Southsea Beach Café which is situated on the esplanade. The Big Beach Clean finished at the local café and saw each student receive a free tub of ice-cream for their efforts while parents and staff enjoyed a bespoke discount for the event. The morning finished with a gathering of the school community at Southsea Beach Café as students enjoyed their reward and the freedom of exploring the beach.

Elisa Standley, Southsea Beach Café’s General Manager, commented: “Hosting Boundary Oak School for a beach clean was a rewarding experience at Southsea Beach Cafe. Witnessing the community and students unite for a positive impact on our seafront was truly heartwarming. It was a great opportunity to nurture environmental awareness and teamwork amongst the children and the local community. The collaboration not only left the beach cleaner, but it also fostered a sense of pride and responsibility among the participants and us. Boundary Oak students inspired future initiatives by engaging students, residents, and local businesses and contributed to the immediate improvement of our surroundings while sowing the seeds for a more sustainable future.”

This follows Boundary Oak’s recent Mini Marathon in aid of WWF-UK which saw students, parents and staff raise over £2,000 which has since increased to over £3,000.

Event organiser and Head of PSHE, Lisa Caruana commented: “I couldn't be prouder of our wonderful Boundary Oak students for joining the ‘Pay It Forward’ Beach Clean! Their big hearts and hard work have made Southsea Beach sparkle, showing just how much they care about our community. Our families were exceptional ambassadors for the school, and I find your kindness truly inspiring.”

Visit Boundary Oak’s Pay it Forward page to find out more about this inspiring campaign.