13 colleagues from Trowbridge-based meals provider apetito | Wiltshire Farm Foods came together to give back to the local community, volunteering their time to take part in a beach clean at Weston-super-Mare. The event brought together frontline teams, office-based colleagues and sales team members from across the business in a shared effort to care for the natural environment.

Held on the opening day of the Marine Conservation Society's Great British Beach Clean week, running Friday 18th - Sunday 27th September, the initiative highlighted the role businesses, communities and volunteers can play in tackling litter pollution. As well as spoiling public spaces, litter can harm wildlife and find its way into waterways and the wider marine environment. Through the initiative, colleagues supported efforts to improve the local area and protect the coastline for future generations.

Working across more than two miles on the main beach in Weston, North Somerset, the team collected 55 different types of litter, ranging from shoes and hats to cutlery, glow sticks, balloons and confetti.

The beach clean forms part of apetito's commitment to delivering positive social and environmental value in the communities it serves. Through its colleague volunteering programme, employees are encouraged to support causes that deliver lasting benefits, whether that's enhancing shared spaces, supporting community organisations or contributing to environmental projects.

Lottie Adair, Sustainability Manager at apetito, joining colleagues at the event said:

"Creating social value is about more than what we do as a business. It's about how we support the communities that we serve and environments around us, and the positive impact we can make together.

"We're incredibly proud of everyone who took part and helped protect a space that plays an important role in the local area. Through our volunteering programme at apetito, we're committed to giving colleagues opportunities to support causes that matter, and days like this show how working together can make a real difference to the communities we care about.”

Councillor Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council's Cabinet Member for Sustainable Places, said:

“We’re very fortunate in North Somerset to have such a beautiful stretch of coastline right on our doorstep. Our ‘Leave Only Footprints’ campaign serves as a reminder to visitors and local residents alike to help us keep this coastline clean, safe and enjoyable for everyone. Small actions make a real difference. Simply putting your rubbish in a bin, or taking it home when that’s not possible, helps to reduce litter, protect wildlife and support recycling.

“Our seafronts team does a fantastic job all-year-round, and we’re very grateful to local litter picking volunteers and community groups who support them and our contractors to keep public spaces clean and litter-free.

“It was great to see the team at apetito carrying out a litter pick on the main beach in Weston-super-Mare on Friday 18 September. I’d like to thank them for supporting our efforts, especially poignant as it’s the first day of the Marine Conservation Society’s national Great British Beach Clean campaign.”

The beach clean is just one example of how apetito colleagues are giving back through the company's volunteering programme, helping to create positive change in the communities and environments they care about.