Whanganui beach clean up brings community together

Beth Coleman, Brylee Tauri and Mel Cole from Te Oranganui cleaning up waste left on Whanganui's Castlecliff beach. Photo/ Bevan Conley

Jandals, car tyres, bunks and fishing reels were just a few items cleaned up off Castlecliff beach in Whanganui on Friday - and that's all thanks to Te Oranganui.

The Māori health and social service pulled together a group of about 30 people to help give back to the community and the environment.

Te Oranganui social worker Rionn Harford said the clean up was all about the philosophy of kaitiakitanga, meaning sustaining the land for our next generation.

"All the rubbish, plastics and personal wastes left on the beach gets caught up in our marine life which we need," Mr Harford said.

He said this year every month they have been coming up with an activity to give back to the community.

"We've been divided into five groups and each month a different group will come up with an new initiative ... for another activity we had a homeless family that we were able to engage with via the koha shed and we were able to get the family a fully furnished house," Mr Harford said.

He said it was also beneficial for building and strengthening relationships with each other.

"It felt really good to be out on the beach, getting your hands in the sand ... it actually sooths the soul and you are able to engage with your own thoughts."

Looking ahead to the next paying it forward activity Mr Harford said they had seen a lot of drift wood that could be cut up and given away as firewood.

"You see if you do good for the community and for other people, good is given back. To say thank you a fisherman gave us some red cod which was a real score."