Brixham’s Hannah Beaumont spends up to eight hours every week litter picking on Brixham’s beaches and made it through to the semi-finals of Eventbrite’s Hobby Hero competition. The competition was launched in May to find Britain’s greatest hobbyist and help them share their pastime with others in an effort to get the nation connected again. The competition was won by Teresa Fisher, a 1940’s promenader.
Hannah, who is a support worker for Yes! Brixham, took up the hobby four years ago in Yorkshire after she was inspired by her grandfather who litter picked each day. Hannah moved to Brixham three years ago and now beach cleans up to three times a week. On weekends, she can litter pick for up to five hours, filling two industrial sized bin bags.
She says: “I started litter picking as an enjoyable and relaxing way to pass my time, but over the years I’ve become a committed conservationist. I tend to litter pick by myself, but sometimes other people will join me. I clean under the name of ‘Me and the Plastic Sea’ and you can see pictures of what I find on my social channels.
“Sadly, the litter seems to get worse each year, and has been especially bad since the pandemic. I find so many face masks, alongside plastic straws, fishing wire and cigarette butts. I once found a Kellogg’s toy from the 1950s, but the strangest thing I found was a fish paste dish from the 1800s. I now use it as a soap dish! The most frustrating collection though was over 100 poo bags. There’s no excuse for not taking your litter away with you.
“David Attenborough is my hero. I’ve written to him twice now and he’s replied both times. I’d love to meet him. Had I won the Eventbrite Hobby Hero competition, I would have used the money to buy myself a new mobile phone. The one I have now has fallen out of my pocket and into the water and sand so many times that I’m amazed it still works.”
Eventbrite’s Sebastian Boppert says: “The entries we received ranged from the more traditional to the weird and wonderful, and Hannah’s stood out as a really worthwhile and inspiring hobby. Hannah clearly dedicates a lot of time to her hobby, and it must be having such a positive impact on her local environment.