About Us.
Hello.
We set up RISE UP. CLEAN UP. MARGATE. Cic in the summer of 2020 as a response to the litter crisis affecting Margate’s beaches.
Our mission.
Inspire.
To inspire people to come together as a community, and seek creative solutions that will tackle the issue of litter on our beaches.
Organise.
To organise regular community beach cleans – providing litter pickers, and bin bags to all those who want to be involved.
Engage.
To be a visible presence on the beaches during the busier summer season – talking to the public, collecting litter and handing out bin bags.
Change.
To work with the council and relevant tour/transport operators to tackle the problem at all levels, promoting meaningful and long-lasting change.
The numbers.
Since our beginnings in July 2020 we have held 110 community beach cleans.
We have collected 2010 bags of rubbish.
That’s over 10 tons of litter.
On a busy day in summer, around 1,500 people arrive into Margate Train Station every hour.
During the summer holidays, Margate’s population can grow by up to 25% on a single day, but its waste management budget remains the same.
On a busy day, Thanet Council clears up to 5 tons of rubbish from around Margate Main Sands. This is the equivalent of 275 regular street bins
Meet the team
Amy Cook
Amy co-founded RISE UP. She is a performance designer with a passion for the ocean. Her love of sea swimming and surfing lead her to care deeply about the environmental crisis facing our waters. She hopes that with the work RISE UP does, we can leave a better future for the next generation and for our blue planet.
Jenny Prout
Jenny joined Rise Up Clean Up to help with beach cleans after moving to the town in 2022. She loves to engage the local community in protecting and caring for the beaches and wildlife. Every time she walks across the sand she can’t help but pick up as much litter as possible! By day, she works with a behaviour change agency that is passionate about making society healthier, safer and fairer.
Jessica Rose
Jessica Rose joined forces with Rise Up Clean Up to push for Thanet to become a plastic free community. She's the Surfers Against Sewage community lead for Margate and has been living as plastic free as possible for more than four years. She's an environment campaign manager at national charity Business in the Community.
Louis Masai
Acting as artist lead for the Rise Up Residency, internationally-acclaimed artist and Margate local Masai. After receiving a Fine Art Degree in Falmouth, Louis began a career straddling studio work and large-scale public domain murals, using visual language to focus on animal life, biodiversity, the encroachment of ecological disaster and more recent forays into issues surrounding the farming industry & mono-farmed crops.
Maite Pardo
Maite is originally from Spain, and moved to Margate in 2020. She trained as a Veterinary Surgeon, but she is also very focused in sustainability and climate change. When she is not working or litter picking she is also a Greenpeace Speaker, BDMLR medic and co-coordinates the local Friends of the Earth group. She says, “I truly believe in the power of the community. Through education projects, working with the council and chats with the public, we can achieve a litter free Margate”.
Olivia Lenon
Oli believes in the power of community to protect our planet and is passionate about creating cleaner, healthier spaces for everyone. At Rise Up Clean Up, Oli manages our inbox - so if you get in touch, she'll likely be the first to say hello!
Rachel Seoighe
Rachel is a researcher, writer and activist interested in social and environmental justice. Her research looks at corporate water pollution and uses creative, playful and community-focused methods to invite people into the conversation. Through her collaborative project Flow.Walk.Drag., she created a walking tour of Margate with a drag artist performing as E. coli. Rachel writes the Rise Up Clean Up newsletter and helps with beach cleans.
Sam Pisano
Sam joined Rise Up Clean Up to help with beach cleans and refilling the free bag stations. She says, “it’s been a great way to meet like minded people with a passion for environmental issues”. She is delighted to have become more involved over time with Rise Up Clean Up as there are so many exciting projects and plans in development as we continue to work towards a cleaner and plastic free Margate.
Our Volunteers
We couldn't do what we do without volunteers helping with social media, TidyPac refills and leading beach cleans.
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Chris
Beach Cleans
“Volunteering is a great opportunity to get exercise while helping out a little and showing pride in our local area. Keeping the beach clean not only makes the area look better for us and visitors, it also respects and protects the local wildlife and sea life. Every bit of rubbish removed has a positive impact and sorted collections can be recycled.”
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Dave
Tidypac Refills, Fundraising
“I love being involved in something so important to my local community. The rubbish on the beach at the end of a summer's day is insane. It's great to be part of helping to clean that up, it's our duty, there's no Plan(et) B!“
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Fiona
Tidypac Refills
“Volunteering with Rise Up Clean Up is rewarding as it feels like we’re helping our community and local wildlife too. It’s also a great excuse to get outside and go for a walk along the seafront! Protecting our environment means a lot to me as I want to help save it for my son’s generation and the generations to come.“
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Joshua
Beach Cleans, Tidypac Refills
“Volunteering makes me feel connected to my local environment. It's MY environment. I live here. My loved ones live here. My children will live here. I have to protect it for them. The simplicity of getting involved drew me to Rise Up Clean Up - rock up, do a good thing, have a beer, go home.“
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Lily, Sara and Dean
Beach Cleans
“Volunteering is a great way to get some fresh air while making the beach a little cleaner for everyone who uses it. There is a sense of making a difference and giving back a little without taking up too much time - just an hour per week in summer, an hour per month in winter. Small contributions we make now make a difference for future generations.”
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Mark
Beach Cleans
“I enjoy meeting new people. I like the positive message Rise Up Clean up gives - everyone can make a difference by joining in, keeping the beaches clean helps improve the quality of life for everyone.“
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Rachel
Beach Cleans
“It gives me a sense of pride in my community to help out with keeping the beach clean. Rise Up Clean Up's small, grassroots, status made it appealing as every hour put in volunteering has a direct impact to the local environment.“
