Young Seaton footballers show pride during beach clean up

Children from Seaton Carew Football Club’s Under 8 side along with siblings and parents carried out a sponsored beach clean.

They raised about £500 as part of TFM radio’s Cash for Kids’ community sports challenge in association with the Tees Valley Community Foundation grant making organisation.

Parent Laura Bennett whose seven-year-old son Dillan McCaffery plays for Seaton Carew Under 8s, said: “The team have been on a 30-day fundraising challenge and as part of this the team decided to do a sponsored beach clean.

“They secured over £500 in sponsorship and cleaned the beach for two hours in the cold.

“They decided this would be a great idea as it was helping the environment.”

They collected six black bags full of rubbish including plastic and empty drinks cans.

The money raised by the team will go to under-privileged children through the Cash for Kids charity.

And the Tees Valley Community Foundation will match the amount raised in the form of a grant to the football team which they can spend on new kit and equipment.

A number of other children’s football sides and sports clubs are taking part in the 30-day sports challenge.

Laura added: “A lot are doing fun days and sponsored runs and we thought we would do something a little bit different to help the environment as well as get the kids working together and out and about.”

The team received lots of positive comments after Laura shared pictures of the beach clean with the Facebook group Plastic Free Hartlepool.

“People said it was lovely to see the younger generation getting out and taking pride in their beach,” said Laura.