Award-winning charity Neptune’s Army of Rubbish Cleaners (NARC) is delighted to announce naturalist and TV presenter Iolo Williams as its first patron.
NARC is the UK’s first underwater clean-up group and was founded in 2005 by local diver Dave Kennard. Since then, Neptune’s Army of volunteers have carried out over 300 dives to help protect the coastline of Pembrokeshire.
Iolo has worked in conservation for over 30 years and as well as being a PADI Divemaster he is passionate about Pembrokeshire, having spent much of his childhood at the coast. He dived with NARC for his BBC series ‘Iolo’s Welsh Sea’ and experienced first-hand the hard work NARC volunteers put in to clean up the oceans, and the difficult conditions they face.
As well as common finds such as plastic, shopping trolleys, cans, tyres and fishing gear, the charity have stumbled upon some more surprising discoveries including satellite dishes, a Mitsubishi van and even the kitchen sink! Though it may be out of sight, marine litter is a major problem for the health of our seas, causing great impacts on wildlife as well as creating hazards for divers and other water users.
On his appointment of patron for the underwater charity, Iolo Williams said, “I’m honoured to be invited to be NARC’s first patron. I have dived with many of its members in the waters around Pembrokeshire and have witnessed the excellent work they undertake. The county boasts some of the richest seas in the UK and NARC is playing a vital role in keeping them that way.”
Dave Kennard, chairman of NARC added, “We are very pleased to have Iolo onboard as our first patron, bringing with him his wealth of experience and passion for wildlife. We look forward to working with him in raising awareness of the problems of marine litter and our work in tackling this.”
To find out more about NARC watch our new video which highlights some of our finds as we continue to help clean the underwater world.