A team of National Lottery winning millionaires with a combined £25million in the bank got their hands dirty by cleaning up a beach yesterday.
The team met at Sandsend Beach in Whitby where they scoured the Yorkshire coastline for litter and tiny pieces of plastic waste, which can be devastating to marine animals.
They were guided by The 2 Minute Foundation, a charity which has previously received £19,410 of National Lottery funding to help with its education programme.
Claire Giner from the charity said: “Sadly there is a huge amount of rubbish floating in our seas and oceans, and every day the tide brings it ashore.
“Today’s litter pick shows what can be achieved in a short space of time and we encourage others to do the same this summer to help save marine animals, even if you can only spare two minutes.”
The clean up team included Terry Kennedy and Kay Yoxall, from Barnsley, South Yorks, who scooped £1million on Lotto last year.
Kay said, “Since winning the National Lottery, we have both taken time out from our jobs to literally live the dream and travel to some amazing places – and incredible beaches!
“But there really is nowhere quite like home and it is fantastic to have the time to give something back on a local level. It has been wonderful working with The 2 Minute Foundation on this project – learning and actually doing something positive for the environment and for the benefit of local people at the same time.
“We have seen some incredible beaches on our travels – but the beaches at home can be just as beautiful so it is important for us to all play a part in protecting them and keeping them in the best possible condition.”
The team of National Lottery winners:
Terry and Kay were Lotto winners Susan and Michael Crossland, from Mirfield, West Yorks, who won £1.2million in 2008
Amanda and Graham Nield, from Wakefield, West Yorks, who won £6.6million in 2013
Jill and Steve Walsh, from Hull, East Yorks, who won £1million in 2016
Sarah and Aldan Ibbetson, from Leeds, West Yorks, who won £3million in 2002
Bryan and Julie Birkett, from Scunthorpe, North Lincs, who won £1million in 2004
Lance and Marie Cram, from Hull, who won £1.3million in 2012
Susan Herdman and Andrew Hornshaw, from York, who won £1.2million 2010
Lesley and Malcolm White, from Denholme, West Yorks, who won £1million on EuroMillions in 2018
Ian and Sandra Black, from Carlisle, Cumbria, who won £2million on a scratchcard in January this year
Elaine Thompson, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who won £2.7million on Lotto in 1995
Elaine and Rob Leason, from East Riding of Yorks, who were part of the Tesco supermarket syndicate in Driffield which scooped £18million in 2005 with each member taking £1.4million.
