Help needed to shovel away 100 tonnes of sand from ‘The Beach’.
Charity organisers have put out a call for shovel-wielding volunteers to help them clear away 100 tonnes of sand that will be left in a Milton Keynes shopping centre following an annual beach festival.
Funfair and leisure experts Keith Emmett & Sons have pledged to give £1000 to two chosen charities connected with the big clear up: The Henry Allen Trust and Al’s Pals.
The Beach opened yesterday (Thursday) and runs until Sunday 31st August. As well as the 100 tonne sandy ‘coastline’ families will be able to enjoy bungee jumping, a Helter Skelter, Shark Roller Coaster, and free face painting and Punch and Judy shows.
But as the final day comes at the end of August, Middleton Hall in MK needs to be cleared quickly to make way for following planned events, which is why the call to volunteers is being made in advance.
“This is a call out to charities to come and help us,” said Keith Emmett of Keith Emmett & Sons. “Bring a shovel and help us to get it cleared away. And we will donate £1000 to both of the charities for the hard work done by the volunteers.”
There is already a lot of work to be done when the sand first goes down because it has to be watered regularly to stop it drying out.
“Getting it out would take a long time for a small group of people,” said Keith. “We could pay for sub-contractors to come in and get it out, but we would rather get the community involved because that is what we are all about. Milton Keynes is a community, and we all pull together.”
“As a charity, we rely on the generosity of others to keep supporting local people affected by cancer, so when someone chooses to donate to us, it means the world,” said Hollie Pardue of Al’s Pals. “We’re incredibly thankful to Keith Emmett for not only bringing the community together to help with the beach clean-up, but also for supporting Al’s Pals with a kind donation in return.”
