Beach cleaning charity Beach Buddies was joined for the first time by its sponsors for a beach cleaning session at Brewery Bay in Port St Mary.

Workers from FIM Capital, were joined by family members for the event, which also saw Beach Buddies officially open the doors to its beach-side base near to the Shore Hotel.

The occasion was marked with a visit from the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Richard Gozney, the patron of FIM Capital Beach Buddies, together with Lady Gozney, who jointly cut a ribbon to mark the first time that The Bone Mill had been officially used for a beach cleaning event.

Russell Collister, chief investment officer at FIM Capital, said: ’It was a great event and the team at FIM took on the challenge of collecting a surprising amount of debris with considerable enthusiasm. On a more general note we are very pleased to be involved with the Beach Buddies charity and the excellent work Bill and his team are doing across the island.’

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The new base, called The Bone Mill, is owned by the Gawne family from Kentraugh, who lease it to Beach Buddies. The first phase of work on the base has recently been completed. This involved replacing the roof and starting on interior repairs and renovation, much of it funded thanks to the Manx Lottery Trust.

In the second phase it is planned to have the building ready for small groups to visit for educational presentations and as a meeting point for classes of schoolchildren.

At present it is being used to store equipment and as a meeting point for beach cleaning events in the south of the island.

The beach cleaning event saw virtually every member of the company’s staff take part, collecting large amounts of rubbish from a stretch of coastline which is something of a magnet for marine litter, especially commercial fishing gear such as lobster pots, fish boxes, nets and ropes.

’This was another special moment for Beach Buddies for a number of reasons,’ said founder Bill Dale.

’Being able to use the Bone Mill for the first time was another landmark for us, and it was a great opportunity to celebrate our involvement with FIM Capital, our headline sponsors.

’There was a great atmosphere and you could see that everyone had enjoyed their first beach cleaning event, and they are keen to come back again.

’We still have a fair amount of work to do to finish off the Bone Mill project, so it gives us a chance to celebrate again some time in the near future, when we can have a full official opening.’

Sir Richard and Lady Gozney later joined members of FIM Capital’s staff at The Shore Hotel where a surprise birthday cake, specially made by member of staff, Michelle Consani, was presented to the Lieutenant Governor.

Founded in 2006, Beach Buddies has grown and gained in popularity, particularly since it started using social media to publicise its events around 2013.

By the end of last year, a total of around 8,000 people had volunteered their services with Beach Buddies and it had been recognised by UNESCO biosphere as an excellent example of tackling marine waste. You can find Beach Buddies on the social media site Facebook.