Lottery winners worth almost £100m go litter picking on Ayrshire beach

Stephen Bark

11 June 2024 at 11:16 am·3-min read

A group of lottery winners worth almost £100 million volunteered at Troon beach to help keep the beauty spot litter free ahead of the school summer holidays.

In total, 19 previous lottery winners from across Scotland took part as they scoured the coastline for litter and tiny pieces of plastic waste which can be harmful to wildlife.

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful teamed up with the group who were also given an insight into the types of rubbish which are regularly found dropped or washed up on the shoreline.

Included in the team of volunteers was Fred Higgins who won £57.9 million in 2018, Alison and John Doherty who won £14 million in 2016 and Steve Glover who won £1 million last year.

Alison said: “It has been a truly wonderful experience working alongside Keep Scotland Beautiful and in an area I would frequently visit as a child.

“Myself and fellow winners support numerous charities throughout the year and it is always a great feeling to be doing something so worthwhile.

“The coastline is close to my heart and Keep Scotland Beautiful has really made me think even further about all of the little things which we can all do to ensure we are all living in the best possible environments.”

EuroMillions winner Fred added: “I cannot believe some of the items which we have picked up. It really is quite unbelievable what can be washed up on our beautiful beaches.

“The beaches are here for everyone and it is just fabulous to get involved in such a worthwhile project which so many people will benefit from.”

Steve said: “I moved to Scotland’s glorious highlands and the coast following my National Lottery win – which made this dream possible. It has been a privilege to take part in the litter pick today – I cannot believe some of the items which we have found. I have also learned so much from the charity too and even more things which we can all do to protect and enhance our local environment.”

Troon South Beach was the focus of their efforts and the volunteers removed several sacks of rubbish, ranging from plastic bottles and caps, string, rope, fishing line, wet wipes and plastic toys to cans, paper, cigarette ends and an array of other plastics.

The winners also learned about the importance of keeping our beaches clean and safe for the well-being, not just of visitors to the beach, but also our wildlife. The group scoured the coastline for microplastics and tiny nurdles - colourful pea-sized plastic waste which can be devastating to marine animals.

Keep Scotland Beautiful has received five grants worth £1.7 million from The National Lottery. The most recent grant was given just last year for a project focussing on community waste in the Highlands.

As an environmental charity, they work to inspire people to combat climate change, tackle litter and waste, restore nature and biodiversity and improve Scotland.

Barry Fisher, CEO at Keep Scotland Beautiful, who also joined winners on the beach clean, said: “It has been a very successful morning and we have really enjoyed working with the local National Lottery winners to help make a difference to this stretch of much-loved coastline.

“Our charitable work aims to inspire behaviour change to improve our environment, the quality of people’s lives, their well-being and the places they love. By carrying out litter picks we help to keep Scotland just that little bit more beautiful for us all – and I would like to thank everyone for their support.”

Also present on the clean up were lottery winners Libby Elliot, Pam and Jim Forbes, Brian and Ann Sharp, Barry and Roberta Little, Ken and Jeanette Wedgeworth, Fiona and Bill McKenna, Jake and Barbara Bowman and Alan and Claire Gray.

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