Beach Buddies are celebrating a busy May.

’This wasn’t the intention when the month began, but it turned out to be something very special,’ said Beach Buddies’ founder Bill Dale.

’We started off with a good number of companies, schools and social groups booking a session, but the phone didn’t stop ringing so we filled in with events on any spare days.

In some cases we ran two or three events in a day, and in one spell we had a record 19 events in eight days.

’May turned out to be extraordinarily busy.

’We started with events in Onchan and Douglas and the we thought we would just continue to beaches along the same coastline and see how far we got. We decided to keep going along the coastline, moving the next event to the nearest beach - and look at what happened. Quite amazing.’

Beaches between Ballaugh and the Point of Ayre were excluded from the list because of the sensitivity of bird nesting in these areas.

In total, more than 600 volunteers took part, with more than 400 never having taken part previously, which is something the charity really likes to see.

’We were especially encouraged by the large number of children who turned up after we had hosted school events and brought their parents with them to the next volunteer session. The children of the Isle of Man are to be praised for the way they have engaged with this subject in the last few years. It’s a privilege to have them join us.’

This list of events hosted by Beach Buddies in May is as follows:

Happy Valley, Onchan - University College Isle of Man

Douglas - Glo-Ed school group, Woking

Douglas - Cruz Kids

Douglas - Education Support Group (1)

Douglas - Henry Bloom Noble School

Douglas - Education Support Group (2)

Port Soderick - IOM Sea Kayaking Club

Port Soderick & glen - Anagh Coar School

Port Grenaugh - Spring Chicks W.I.

Derbyhaven - Beach Buddies volunteers

Castletown Bay - Manx Telecom staff

Langness - HSBC staff (1)

Langness - HSBC staff (2)

Scarlett - HSBC staff (3)

Pooill Vaaish / Brewery Bay - HSBC staff (4)

Fisher’s Hill - NatWest staff

Fisher’s Hill / Pooill Vaaish - Beach Buddies volunteers

Fisher’s Hill / Pooill Vaaish - Crowe LLC staff

Hango Hill - Ballasalla Primary School

Castletown (Scarlett Road) - Courts of Justice staff

Southern 100 course - Beach Buddies volunteers

Scarlett - Friends Provident International staff (1)

Scarlett - Friends Provident International staff (2)

Gansey Point - Scoill Phurt le Moirrey

Port Erin - Arbory Primary School

Port Erin - Rushen Primary School

Niarbyl / White Beach - Affinity Management Services staff

Niarbyl / White Beach - Beach Buddies volunteers

Peel - Capel Manor College, Enfield team

Peel - Kestrel Insurance staff

Kirk Michael - Beach Buddies volunteers

Ballaugh - Premier Inn staff

Ballaugh - Sulby Primary School

Ballaugh - Beach Buddies volunteers

Ramsey - Bunscoill Rhumsaa

Cornaa - Beach Buddies volunteers

â?¢ Beach Buddies runs events for volunteers every weekend, and runs free events for schools, companies and social groups at other times, including evenings, weekdays and weekends. Beach Buddies is sponsored by FIM Capital and receives annual support from DEFA.