A litter picking event along Penarth Marina was held on April 8 to support the Spring Clean Cymru campaign from Keep Wales Tidy.

In collaboration with Challenge Wales and the Severn Estuary Partnership, ten international students picked litter along Penarth Marina and Cardiff Bay Barrage, before setting sail for a residential sailing trip from Penarth to Padstow in Cornwall the following morning.

Students were also welcomed by representatives from the Severn Estuary Partnership at Penarth Marina to learn more about the various types of marine litter to consider as they took part in their clean-up.

Vicky Williams, a trustee of Challenge Wales, said: "As a youth development charity, we have been passionate about reducing our plastic waste and raising awareness of the impact of litter.

"We are still shocked at how much litter we see; it's not just large pieces of household litter we find but discarded fishing nets and smaller microplastics, and we know how devastating this can be for wildlife and now humans.

"We are keen to highlight how we can make a positive difference in the world, no matter how small, which is why we are excited to be part of Spring Clean Cymru."

Lesley Jones, chief executive officer of Keep Wales Tidy, added: "Since the start of the pandemic, our outdoor spaces have mattered to us more than ever before. They have been a sanctuary during challenging times.

"Yet, litter still blights our green spaces, streets, and beaches across Wales, not only costing us millions to remove but sadly harming our local wildlife as well.

"We encourage everyone across Wales to get involved with our Spring Clean Cymru campaign this year and pledge to pick up a bag or more of litter.

"We know that taking part outdoors is good for our health and our environment. Together we can make a big difference."

Spring Clean Cymru is also part of this year's Great British Spring Clean. Volunteers are being asked to pledge how many bags they will collect and how many minutes they will spend cleaning up their local area.

Click here to pledge and get involved in the Spring Clean Cymru campaign.