I am a devoted environmentalist and have been part of numerous projects over the years which have had an environmental purpose, most recently I've teamed up with Barefoot Wines Beach Rescue Project, which aims to clean up Britain's Beaches and educate future generations on how to keep our shoreline tidy, safe and most importantly beautiful.

Being part of this project has once again enabled me to become fully embroiled in the British coastline, a coastline which I believe is the most beautiful and diverse in the world. There are not many coastlines that can boost everything from white sandy beaches to chalk cliffs, pebbled hideaways to secluded islands and that's before we start talking about the diverse wildlife, fauna and flora.

The question I always ask myself is why, when we have such a glorious array of beautiful beaches, should projects like this even need to be put in force? Why do we not look after them and keep one of the things that makes Britain great (our superb coastline) in good condition for generations to come? Why litter or damage our own areas of outstanding natural beauty?

When I spent a year on Taransay I was cut away from the rest of the world and was able to walk every inch of the Island and take in the stunning coastal views and wildlife. The thought of doing anything to damage the beautiful coastline was simply unthinkable, that was my home and I wanted it to be kept in its beautiful state - this is something which all communities should be doing, whether it be there own tiny island or a large communal beach in a popular tourist destination.

People need to realise that THEY HAVE TO look after their own 'beachyard' personally and as a community. I'm a real believer that if a beach or shoreline is kept in outstanding condition then visitors will follow that lead. In addition to locals rolling their sleeves up they need to create a sense of ownership with their children, so for generations to come our Island is kept beautiful.

I hope my children will grow to understand the effects of negative human activity in the natural world, be that the large scale effects of global warming or the simplest effects of littering in public places and so I expect others to do the same. If local people do not care for their own areas and what's on their own doorstep then who will?

We're a nation that relies heavily on tourism and a huge part of that is our coastline, ports, harbours and seaside resorts - we need to act as a nation and safeguard these areas for years to come. ACT NOW.

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