The Beach Buddies are Aber’s unsung heroes

Aber is famous for many things: sunsets, starling clouds, idyllic landscapes – but perhaps most of all for its beaches. 

Here we surf, chill and throw perfect BBQs and bonfires. But as great as our beaches are they are often found littered with plastic, cans, glass and other rubbish making the experience less enjoyable for everybody.

That’s where the Beach Buddies come in.

Aberystwyth’s Beach Buddies regularly clean our beaches. These are the heroic figures who care about the beaches and wildlife in the area and do something about it.

Sian Obermaiser, head of the Buddies, told us what they do and how we can help them help the environment:

“As an ex Aber student and long time resident I have enjoyed many a campfire/beach party. We have always, no matter how worse for the wear, ensured every last scrap of rubbish is cleaned up and deposited at the bins on the prom.”

Clean up after yourself Aber!

“There are forty plus bins on the length of the prom, we are never more than a few minutes from them when on the beaches – so no excuses.”

Following Guy Fawkes night earlier this year the group collected a staggering twwo full rubbish bags from South Beach alone.

Sian doesn’t want us to stop having fun on the beach, but asks that we are responsible especially when using things that contain plastic – like fireworks:

“Fireworks, particularly rockets, are being aimed directly at the sea and this means the plastic components they contain are being littered straight into the sea to join the estimated 270,000 tonnes of plastic already polluting the oceans.”

Just one of the hauls that the Beach Buddies brought up

The Beach Buddies aren’t all a bunch of hippies, they are a collection of students and locals from all walks of life and subjects who simply care about the beaches and the animals that live near them.

Sian added: “Aberystwyth Beach Buddies don’t want to be ‘fun police’ or spoilsports. Respect for the oceans and the environment in general is not a one night deal, it should be year round.”

Let’s not wreck Aber, yeah?

It’s the simple things like disposing of beer can rings, putting your rubbish in the bin, not smashing bottles and not ignoring the little things like cigarette butts.

Zoology third year Charlotte, who is part of the Buddies, stressed a similar sentiment: “It’s not difficult to put rubbish in the bins, everybody loves the beaches so everybody should try to keep it clean and not leave it for the Beach Buddies to do!”

We might not always see them doing there work, but without the Beach Buddies Aber would be a poorer, messier place.