Tag Archives: Maharees Conservation Association

Maharees Association Wins National Lottery Good Causes Award

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Members of Maharees Conservation Association are pictured celebrating as they were announced overall winners of the Heritage category. Marty Whelan (MC), Huw Roberts, Micheál O’Leary, Emilie Roberts, Aidan O’Connor, Maura Cronin, Jeanne Spillane, Martha Farrell, Martin Lynch (all Maharees Conservation Association) and Hugh Wallace who presented the award. Photo: MacInnes

AN inspiring local organisation in Kerry has won big at this year’s National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2024.

It follows on  from their Heritage Council award in honour of the legendary GAA commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, which was presented last week.

The Maharees Conservation Association took home the top prize in the Heritage category, winning an impressive €10,000. The organisation was established in 2016 to enhance, protect, and preserve this unique coastline through community-led climate adaptation.

The volunteer-run organisation works closely with residents, visitors, NGOs, state agencies, and the local authority to safeguard the Maharees sand dune system and its habitats, as well as, to preserve the community and heritage of the area.

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In 2021, the group received funding from the National Lottery Good Causes, which enabled them to develop the Maharees Heritage Trail. This mobile-accessible, self-guided trail features imagery, video, and both text and audio descriptions of 20 points of interest around The Maharees, exploring various aspects of the area’s natural, cultural, living, and built heritage.

The Maharees Conservation Association’s proactive spirit, commitment to environmental protection, and willingness to share knowledge with other coastal communities impressed the judges of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards.

Their efforts were recognised with winning the 2024 Heritage category award, highlighting them as a shining example of how local action can make a significant difference.

This year’s Good Causes Awards ceremony took place in Killashee House Hotel in Co. Kildare. Marty Whelan hosted the event and was joined by a star-studded line-up of guest presenters who handed out category awards, including TV personality Daithí Ó Sé, author and radio presenter Anna Geary, the inspiring Deborah Somorin, renowned architect and TV presenter Hugh Wallace and dancing sensation Arthur Gourounlian.

The Awards are made up of seven categories: Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Heritage, Arts & Culture, Community, Youth and Irish Language.

Maharees Group Presented With New Award In Honour Of Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh

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Back row L-R: Mick Whelan, Jeanne Spillane, Patricia Browne, Patricia Herrero, Martha Farrell, Mikey O’Leary. Front row L-R: Alan O’Leary, Micheál O’Leary, Monty O’Leary, Virginia Teehan CEO of the Heritage Council, Colum Walsh (Community Water Development Officer for Kerry, LAWPRO) Picture: Clare Keogh

A NEW Heritage Council award in honour of the legendary GAA commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh was presented to The Maharees Conservation Association at the weekend.

Launched by Tánaiste Micheál Martin at a special event at the Cork Camogie Grounds in Cork city, The ‘Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh – Gradam Dúchais’, or Intangible Cultural Heritage Award, was given to a group whose 2024 National Heritage Week event encouraged a greater appreciation of our traditions, crafts, skills, customs and practices.

The Maharees Conservation Association won the award for their Currach Making demonstration during National Heritage Week with the O’Leary family, who have been making currachs in Maharees for five generations.

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Those who attended their event learned how the currachs have connected and sustained the communities living in Maharees and around the Tralee Bay area.

The Tánaiste and the Heritage Council were joined by the award winners, members of Micheál Ó Muirecheartaigh’s family, several players from Cork’s 2024 All-Ireland winning Cork camogie team and UCD history professor Paul Rouse.

“We would like to thank the Heritage Council for this award, for their support in helping us to share our heritage and for inspiring us to stage events for Heritage Week,” said Maharees Conservation Association secretary, Patricia Browne.

“We thank the Local Authority Waters Programme for part-funding our event and funding several natural heritage events this year

“Huge thanks to Alan Lynch (a long-time visitor to Maharees) who interviewed Monty O’Leary at the event and to Mick Whelan, Maharees Conservation member, who filmed the event.”

“We would like to acknowledge our Maharees Heritage committee which has been organising cultural heritage events for 11 years to celebrate the essence of Maharees and we are indebted to them for their contribution to preserving our sense of identity.”

“We are so grateful to the O’Leary family for agreeing to take part in our National Heritage Week Event – it was a special moment and all who attended felt like we were watching a piece of history in the making,” said Patricia.

The Maharees Conservation Association will be formally celebrated along with all the other 2024 award winners at the National Heritage Week awards ceremony at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin on November 15th.

Maharees Group Delighted To Make National Lottery Good Causes Final

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Members of the Maharees Conservation Association. Back row from left: Dara O’Connor, Eryn O’Connor, Aidan O’Connor. Front row: Mary Ellen Maunsell, Patricia Browne, Michael O’Leary, Tom Scanlon, Martha Farrell.

MAHAREES Conservation Association members were delighted to learn last month that the group is a finalist in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2024 – in the Heritage Category.

The group has been busy protecting and sharing the rich heritage of Maharees since their formation in 2016 and they’re no stranger to awards, winning national awards at the National Heritage Week Awards, Clean Coasts an Taisce Ocean Heroes Awards and the Outsider Magazine Awards and also a Kerry Community Award in the last year.

The awards ceremony will be held in October at Killashee Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare where Maharees Conservation Association will be one of 35 national finalists in seven categories competing for one of the €10,000 prizes.

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Maharees Conservation Association Chair, Aidan O’Connor said: “we are delighted with this recognition – when you look at the list of finalists on the National Lottery Good Causes website, it is humbling to see the work of our small community up there with them.”

“We’re very thankful to the National Lottery Good Causes team for shortlisting us, it’s nice for our volunteers to see the work is acknowledged.  We have always acted out of a love for Maharees and community and we’re proud to be part of Maharees Conservation Association – what we get from sharing our heritage with our resident and visiting communities and knowing we’re doing our best for the place we live in is what inspires us to keep going.”

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PHOTOS: Volunteers Cover 8km Of Coastline At Maharees Conservation Beach Clean

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Volunteers at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.

A BIG crowd turned up on Tuesday, despite the inclement conditions, for the now annual August Maharees Conservation Association beach clean.

Sponsored by Outwest this year, approximately 8kms of coastline was cleaned on the day by over 60 volunteers.  All participants were treated to free treats in Spillane’s Bar and Restaurant afterwards courtesy of Outwest.

Clean Coasts and Splash Sports were also on hand on the day to provide equipment, guidance and help with the bag collection and the Kerry County Council Dingle Area team picked up all the bags from key collection points.

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Shane Finn of Outwest said: “Outwest is delighted to be partnering with Maharees Conservation for this event. We recognise the incredible work that they do and the huge effort that goes into protecting this amazing place we get to call home. We’d encourage anyone to research some of the fantastic work Maharees Conversatoom does or better again, join us in getting involved.”

Martha Farrell from Maharees Conservation Association said: “Brandon Bay boasts the longest beach on the west coast of Ireland. It’s a stunning beach with a spectacular dune system and the Maharees Conservation team is actively working to protect it and its wildlife.”

Volunteers at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.

“Huge thanks to everyone who turned out today despite the conditions – we’re blown away as usual by the spirit shown by our local and visiting community! We are so delighted to partner with Outwest on this clean up.”

“We will be running our fun quiz this Thursday night at 9pm at the Green Room Bar to support our Maharees Heritage committee and their Maharees Weekend in September,” she added.

Elaine Doyle, Clean Coasts Campaigns and Development Officer for Kerry and Cork said: “Clean Coasts are delighted to be here today. Beach cleaning is a simple but important step in keeping our waterways litter free. Important for not only ourselves but water quality and the wonderful marine life that call our oceans their home. The Maharees Conservation Association are such a symbol of the power of community and how we can make a difference to our world from our own locality.” Scroll down for photos…

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A young volunteer at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.
Volunteers at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.
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Volunteers at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.
Volunteers at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.
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Volunteers at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.
Volunteers at the Maharees Conservation Association beach clean on Tuesday.

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Event Planned Out West To Mark World Sand Dune Day

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Creative artists Silke Michels , Zoë Uí Fhaoláin Green and Emer Fallon created a sand art collage on Magherabeg beach located on Brandon Bay to mark the upcoming World Sand Dune Day.
Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD

WORLD Sand Dune Day is on this Saturday, June 29, and members of the Maharees Conservation Association are inviting people to help them celebrate the day.

The first full-day event as part of Neart na Machairí, takes place on Saturday. World Sand Dune Day is an annual international celebration dedicated to raising awareness about the significance of sand dunes at a crucial time as coastal erosion threatens coastal communities worldwide.

Neart na Machairí is a creative climate action project funded through Creative Ireland, facilitated through a partnership between Maharees Conservation Association and Dingle Hub and three embedded artists, Zoë Uí Fhaoláin Green, Emer Fallon and Silke Michels and by project designer, Zoë Rush.

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A series of walks, talks and creative reflection will explore the unique and fragile sand dune habitat of Maharees and how community resilience can be built through a deeper awareness of the natural and human systems shaping it.

“This project takes as its starting point that coastal resilience requires an integrated approach, drawing from deep place-based knowledge of these habitats and the customs and traditions of people who live within them as well as expert guidance and collaboration with state agencies to support and incorporate community visions of change within strategic and financial planning.” said Neart na Machairí Project Designer, Zoë Rush.

Maharees Conservation Association Chair, Aidan O’Connor said: “We have seen what we can achieve as a community when we have the knowledge and support of our stakeholders – we want to take that a step further now. Everyone talks about Maharees being impacted by climate change and sea level rise more than other places but we know there are solutions out there and adaptations we can make to be as resilient as we can going forward.”

Morning Session 10am-12.30pm: Living Within the Dunes (meet at Spillane’s Bar): talks, walks and creative reflection with Dr Eugene Farrell (University of Galway), Sally Griffin (Munster Technological University), Monica Kane (Ecologist) and William Hunt (National Parks and Wildlife Service). Embedded artists Emer Fallon, Silke Michels and Zoë Uí Fhaoláin Green will support this learning through a creative reflection session.

Afternoon Session 2-3.45pm: Coastal Erosion, Adaptation and Resilience (at Clubrooms Castlegregory: featuring Dr Eugene Farrell and members of Maharees Conservation Association CLG.

There will be a limited number of spaces available for these events, please email mahareesconservation@gmail.com to book a space.

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Maharees Conservation Association Wins National Heritage Week Award

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Patricia Browne, Maura Cronin, Eileen McCarthy and Martha Farrell, Maharees Conservation Association and Mary O’Brien Browne and Saoirse Browne of Tralee Bay Experience Fenit with awards host Síle Seoige (centre).

THE Maharees Conservation Association won while Tralee Bay Experience were runners-up at the National Heritage Week Awards last Friday.

Members of the Association were in Gloster House in Offaly to collect the to prize in the Living Heritage Award category for their ‘Living Heritage of Maharees’ event which involved a trail of living heritage from Fahamore to Ceann Duimhche on which participants were treated to stories and demonstrations of the living heritage of Maharees.

Patricia Browne (Maharees Conservation Heritage team) said: “We’d like to thank all of the community members who gave up their time freely and willingly to put on demonstrations of living heritage, to our businesses who provide venues and hospitality so generously for our events, to the great audience who played their part too and to the Maharees Heritage team for all of their work over the year to promote our heritage.”

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Fenit’s Tralee Bay Experience was also honoured at the event in the Water Heritage category finishing as runner-up.

Mary O’Brien Browne representing the entry at the awards said: “It was a privilege to represent Tralee Bay and Fenit for the Water Heritage event. Sincere thanks to Louise Over, Simon Berrow, Ger scollard, Denis O’Shea, John O’Mahony and Liz McCarthy for all their assistance with this event. It was a super recognition of all the awareness raising efforts for the beneift of our beautiful bay and coastline.”

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Two Kerry Events Shortlisted For National Heritage Week Awards

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Participants gather for the Maharees Living Heritage event back in August.

TWO events run by Kerry groups have been shortlisted for National Heritage Week Awards which will be announced this Friday.

Maharees Conservation Association is shortlisted for a National Heritage Week ‘Living Heritage’ Award while Tralee Bay Experience Fenit was also shortlisted in the ‘Water Heritage’ category.

Members of the Heritage sub team of Maharees Conservation were thrilled to see their ‘Living Heritage of Maharees’ event shortlisted.

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The event took place on 19th August for National Heritage Week and involved a trail of living heritage from Fahamore to Ceann Duimhche on which participants were treated to stories and demonstrations of the living heritage of Maharees.

The guided walking trail was free and 100% community-led and delivered and gave participants the opportunity to learn the practices and skills passed down from one generation to the next.  The event culminated in a session by the Maharees Wren and participants were delighted to take part in Wren’s Day activities such as set dancing in August.

Maura Cronin (Maharees Conservation Heritage team) said: “To say we’re over the moon is an understatement! This team of volunteers have been planning and delivering on heritage events for the last 10 years – never even thinking to enter them for awards.”

The Tralee Bay Experience Fenit’s ‘Life beneath the Waves’ event held on August 12 saw passionate citizens, scientists, and researchers gather to discuss and explore the amazing maritime heritage and biodiversity of Tralee Bay.

From the critically endangered angel shark to the growing dolphin population they discussed the past, present and future of the bay and its habitat.

The Heritage Council’s National Heritage Week Awards Ceremony takes place on this Friday, October 20 at 3pm at Gloster House in Co. Offaly.

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ViClarity Team Helps Strengthen Maharees Sand Dunes

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The ViClarity team on the beach at Maharees.

A TEAM from the ViClarity office in Tralee, led by John Ogie Sheehy (Global CIO and CEO of European Business) this week joined Maharees Conservation Association in their work to strengthen the Maharees sand dunes before the winter storm season.

Eight of the Viclarity Tralee team took part in the planting project along Brandon Bay on Wednesday and with a quick demo on how to plant marram grass, they succeeded in replanting 100 metres of  the fragile sand dune.

Chair of Maharees Conservation Assocication, Aidan O’Connor said: “We were delighted to welcome the team from ViClarity out here today. Their work and that of all of the other volunteers that help us is making our dunes stronger and more resilient to winter storms and that, in turn, is supporting our community and the wildlife that depends on the sand dunes.”

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Ogie Sheehy (Global CIO and CEO of European Business, Viclarity)  said: “Delighted that the ViClarity team were able to help Aidan and his committee with such a fantastic initiative. Great to be able to give back to the local community and also to preserve our beautiful Kerry Coastline.”

The ViClarity team hard at work on the beach at Maharees.

ViClarity, based at Kerry Technology Park, is an award-winning provider of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) management software solutions for highly regulated industries, such as Healthcare, Insurance and Financial Services.

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PHOTOS: Great Turnout For The NIVEA Beach Clean At Brandon

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Darragh O’Connor at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.

NIVEA Ireland, in partnership with Maharees Conservation Association, hosted its second annual NIVEA Beach Clean at Brandon Bay on Tuesday.

Brandon Bay saw a host of volunteers spend the day collecting rubbish, in an effort to preserve this popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

NIVEA Ireland will be donating funds for essential beach fencing in a conservation effort to protect the dunes and beach landscape.

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The chestnut fencing helps to stabilise the dune allowing marram grass to recover, especially in areas where people and animals have been on the dunes.

The fencing also makes the dunes more resistant to wind and wave action, acting as an additional barrier to protect the coastline and the ecosystem.

“Protecting the landscape is one of the main activities for our organisation and we are so grateful that NIVEA Ireland are donating funds towards our chestnut fencing again this year,”said Martha Farrell, Co-Founder of Maharees Conservation Association.

“We have already seen significant improvements in the dune ecosystem since the beginning of this project and it is donors like NIVEA Ireland that help us achieve our goals. It has been a great day out for all, there were a lot of smiling faces and happy children, and most importantly a much cleaner beach,” added Martha.

“We are delighted to join the Maharees Conservation Association and their efforts to protect, enhance and preserve the beautiful coastline of Brandon Bay and to give back to the local community.  The number of volunteers this year exceeded our expectations, and it will be hard to beat!” said Paddy Carmody, Head of Marketing – Ireland, NIVEA. Scroll down for photos…

Grace Daly, Jack Daly and Sheema Jayaprakash at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
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Having fun at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
Cerys Cahalan and Roshin Jayaprakash at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
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Elise and Naoise Cahalan at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
Rosemary Ring and Willo Litzouw at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
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The large group of volunteers at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
Heading to the beach at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
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Lara Santos Byrne , Meadhbh and Darerca McAuliffe , Aislin Healy and Helen O’Neill McAuliffeat the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
Líle and Naia McCaul at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
Anna Roberts and Hope Kenny Coote at the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
At the NIVEA Beach Clean on Tuesday at Brandon Bay. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.

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Maharees Group Wins Ocean Hero Special Achievement Award

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Members of Maharees Conservation Association with the Special Achievement Award. Photo: Clean Coasts Twitter

A KERRY-BASED Clean Coasts group won an Ocean Hero Special Achievement Award this afternoon.

Clean Coasts hosted the Ocean Hero Awards Ceremony and Ocean Talks at Number 6 Kildare Street, in Dublin, to celebrate and thank the groups, individuals, communities, and businesses who, throughout the year, have done outstanding work to protect their local coastline and environment.

Maharees Conservation Association CLG were nominated both in the Beach Clean Award category and the Special Achievement Award and they won the latter.

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This award is a celebration of an individual or group who have achieved something spectacular this year, whether it’s reaching a major milestone, undertaking an impressive project or finding a way to engage a new cohort of people in the protection of our coasts.

The group has been carrying out a series of marram grass planting events in their area to stabilise the sand dunes damaged by Atlantic storms and have been raising awareness and educating the public on the importance on sand dunes and why they need to be protected.

During the ceremony, the work of Fenit Coast Conservation, who were nominated for a Local Action Award, was also showcased.

This group strives to raise awareness of the value and vulnerabilities of the coastline and encourages best practices that will leave this precious natural environment intact for future generations.

Each year, the Ocean Hero Awards honour the invaluable contribution Clean Coasts volunteers, groups and communities have made towards conserving our spectacular coastline. The awards, originally called the ‘Clean Coasts Merit Awards’, were conceived in 2006, consisting then of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts Group of the Year’.

This year, Clean Coasts has chosen 7 dedicated categories with a total of 28 groups, organisations and individuals shortlisted for the title of Ocean Hero within each category.

PHOTOS: Huge Turnout For Beach Clean-Up On Brandon Bay

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The large amount of volunteers who took part in the Nivea-sponored beach clean-up at Brandon Bay. Photo by Domnick Walsh

A HUGELY successful beach clean on Brandon Bay was held last Thursday which saw a huge turnout of volunteers from the local community.

Sponsored by Nivea, it was the biggest beach clean in three years with just under 100 volunteers showing up to clean a 5km stretch of Brandon Bay.

“We managed to get two tractor trailer loads of marine litter off the beach and this has been collected by Kerry County Council,” said Martha Farrell of Maharees Conservation Association.

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The volunteers received goodie bags and vouchers for refreshments at local restaurant Spillanes from Nivea and Maharees Conservation Association received a very generous donation to support the ongoing dune protection work on the tombolo.

“We were delighted to see the huge turn out of volunteers for the NIVEA Beach Clean on August 4,” said Paddy Carmody, Nivea’s Head of Marketing in Ireland.

“It was great to be able to work together with the amazing team that came out while giving something back to our local community.  It’s fantastic to see the great work being lead by Maharees Conservation Association and we were happy to have been able to partner on such a worthy cause. We are already looking forward to the next one!” he added. Scroll down for photos…

Volunteers who took part in the Nivea-sponored beach clean-up at Brandon Bay. Photo by Domnick Walsh
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Volunteers who took part in the Nivea-sponored beach clean-up at Brandon Bay. Photo by Domnick Walsh
Volunteers who took part in the Nivea-sponored beach clean-up at Brandon Bay. Photo by Domnick Walsh
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Volunteers who took part in the Nivea-sponored beach clean-up at Brandon Bay. Photo by Domnick Walsh
Volunteers who took part in the Nivea-sponored beach clean-up at Brandon Bay. Photo by Domnick Walsh

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