Youth at the Helm: Anguilla’s Young Steer Coastal Clean-Up Success
- James Clark
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 25
Anguilla held a successful clean-up on 13 May 2025 as part of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign. An impressive 1,200 people took part in a clean-up at Sandy Ground, which represents around 7% of the island’s population. Together, they removed 8,000 plastic items from Commonwealth waters, helping to prevent harm to marine ecosystems.
The clean-up, organised by the local Commonwealth Games Association, was a well-coordinated and efficient operation. Starting early in the morning, teams worked across land, snorkelling zones, and scuba diving sites to ensure maximum coverage.
Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to marine biodiversity. When plastics degrade into microplastics, they can be ingested by marine animals, causing internal injury, starvation, and even death. Removing plastic waste from the ocean not only protects wildlife but also helps restore marine habitats and maintains the health of the food chain.
A key element of the event was the involvement of primary school pupils. The initiative aimed to educate the next generation on the importance of environmental stewardship and inspire them to take meaningful action. Many schoolchildren joined the clean-up and, crucially, learned how to measure the impact of environmental initiatives. Following the clean-up, schools carried out counting and reporting activities, equipping students with practical conservation skills as well as transferable research and quantitative abilities.
The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign is traveling around the Commonwealth with the King’s Baton Relay. In Anguilla, the Baton served as a powerful symbol, drawing attention to the urgent issue of plastic pollution. Sandy Ground, renowned as a premier sailing destination, was celebrated when the Baton was taken out onto the water by a youth sailing club.
The Baton itself was designed by a talented young Anguillian graphic designer who first gained recognition in 2014 as a student, when he created Anguilla’s national pin for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Now an established professional, his contribution to this project reflects both creative excellence and deep local pride.
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
The Royal Commonwealth Society’s Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign will prevent one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways.
The campaign will combine education and local action to encourage people to reduce their plastic waste, highlight alternatives, and reduce pollution across the Commonwealth.
For the action component of the campaign, the Royal Commonwealth Society has partnered with Commonwealth Sport to deliver the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign as a core component of The King’s Baton Relay. This newly envisioned King’s Baton Relay will focus on sustainability and environmentalism and was launched by His Majesty The King at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day 2025, beginning a 500-day journey to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July 2026.
Journeying through every Commonwealth nation and territory, this partnership will bring together young people, athletes, conservation groups, and the local community for a week of activities, including a plastic clean-up.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
