Our Volunteering Highlights

Working together for cleaner seas, beaches, and coastal communities in Cornwall

In 2024, we proudly contributed to various inspiring clean campaigns across Cornwall, showcasing our B Corp commitment to sustainability and giving back.

Global Beach Clean with SEA LIFE TRUST

We joined the Cornish Seal Sanctuary for the SEA LIFE TRUST Global Beach Clean, where 1,643 participants across the globe collected nearly 3,000kg of litter. Jasmine from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary shared that Lovat Parks’ support as ambassadors plays a key role in protecting marine life and enhancing the experience for beachgoers.

“We really appreciate the support from Lovat Parks throughout the year as our Ambassadors. By attending our events like the Global Beach Clean, they help make a real difference for marine life and for everyone who enjoys our beaches.”

Million Mile Beach Clean with Surfers Against Sewage

This autumn, we joined Surfers Against Sewage at Perranporth Beach to support their vital beach cleaning efforts. Among the highlights were some unusual finds, including a size 12 welly boot and a Lego arm holding a pumpkin! Eight jam jars were filled with microplastics, highlighting the pressing need for action. You can find a beach clean near you and get involved in this important work. We’re excited to join the Surfers Against Sewage network in 2025 to further support their incredible efforts to protect our coastlines.

Making Space for Sand with Cornwall Wildlife Trust

At Mawgan Porth, we worked with volunteers to remove invasive plants in support of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Making Space for Sand Project. This initiative restores sand dunes as vital natural defenses and wildlife habitats. Andy from the Trust praised the efforts, highlighting the essential role of businesses like Lovat Parks.

“Sand dunes, which cover approximately 2% of the area of Cornwall, are important both as natural sea defences and as special places for wildlife and cultural history. They are constantly changing, being moved and re-moulded by both short-term weather events and longer-term climate forces.

Unfortunately, human use of sand dunes and neighbouring areas has left some of them unnaturally ‘penned in’ and in poor condition, meaning they may be less valuable both as wildlife habitat and as a sea defence. Cornwall Wildlife Trust are one of the partners working on the Making Space for Sand project and are providing environmental assessments, developing beach dune management plans and engaging with local communities to support volunteer activity, to improve the condition of these amazing places.

At Mawgan Porth we have been working with local volunteers this year to get a new volunteer group (The Dunies!) started. The volunteers have been working hard to remove some of the invasive plants, like Japanese rose and sea buckthorn, which cover a huge amount of the Mawgan Porth dunes. Fortunately, the group have received some support from local businesses, including Lovat Parks. Lian, Ollie and Alan, all staff at Lovat Parks, have helped the group at recent volunteer tasks, getting stuck in to both the physical work of removing the invasive plants and into tea and biscuits when we have a break! Huge thanks to these guys for turning up with a smile and a positive attitude, which are the only qualifications needed to help.”

Nancegollan Community Café

Parbola Holiday Park supported the Nancegollan Community Café by hosting a special lunch for volunteers, offering them a well-deserved day off. Paula from the Cornish parks has some really special connections to the area.

“Nancegollan is the village where I was born and currently live and years ago the villagers bought the then closed Methodist chapel to make it into a village hall for all to benefit from. It is a registered charity and from that over the years various events and classes are run from there.  After Covid, the community café started and has grown from strength to strength serving the rural community as a warm space and a place to combat loneliness.  People are actually socially prescribed to the café. It holds a very dear place in my heart as my mum & dad were married there , I was christened and later married there and my father is buried in the graveyard. I also run a bingo session there once a month and over the past year have raised £1,220 for them to help fund not only the community café but also the increasing cost of running the hall.”

Partnering with the RNLI

Alan, part of our maintenance team, volunteers with the RNLI and recently took Kim from Sun Haven to learn about water safety. Their day included lifeguard demonstrations, safety talks, and identifying hazards like sand cliffs at Crantock beach. Alan plans to bring this vital knowledge to all of our guests to promote safety by the sea. Most recently, Kim from Sun Haven joined Alan to learn more;

“Kim came along to the RNLI today to assist me with my water safety tasks, we started the day with Newquay harbour masters, talking about ongoing safety issues in the harbour, later we went into the lifeboat station where Kim learnt all about the boats, tractors equipment and how the RNLI runs along side of coastguard and search and rescue groups, we went onto the beaches where we delivered a water safety talk to a group of cold water swimmers ( swimming women) also a demonstration of safety devices used from the beach, also offered safety advice to a lone swimmer, after a very long walk of roughly 6 miles, it was time for a coffee break at Fistral beach bar, on route we scanned rock faces looking for fracture lines which will become new rock falls over the coming years, also taking in the sea life from watching dolphins and seals.

We then went to the lifeguard station where she learnt about their roles, rescues and equipment used, after lunch we went to Crantock beach to monitor the very dangerous dunes and sand cliffs, we spoke to a couple with 2 small children walking on the bottom of the dunes who was in imminent danger, they thanked us and moved to safety on the beach. Fair play to Kim, it was a full on day and she has picked up so much knowledge, she will certainly sleep tonight, we even managed to squeeze in 8 videos on rescues around Newquay.

I do this on my days off for the RNLI and with Lovat Parks being so close to the sea, I would like to take my knowledge and safety roadshow to all of our parks before peak season and open it up to owners and guest so they stay safe on and in the water, we would be the first  and only parks that can offer water safety to our clientele!”

Our 2024 efforts have reinforced our commitment to protecting Cornwall’s environment and supporting its vibrant communities. These highlights are just the beginning—together, we can continue to create a brighter future for Cornwall’s beaches, seas, and dunes.