Holly from Tru Travels tells us about the Leo beach cleaning event

Holly Churchill from Tru travels popped into Phanganist to talk about the Leo beach cleaning event and how it went for the team that they took down to help.

Tell us about how Tru Travels got involved with the Leo beach cleaning event?
We saw it advertised and also couldn’t believe the Full Moon party had never been sponsored before. We were pretty pumped because Leo is our beer of the year. We like to help out and get involved with all kinds of events on the island, we are pretty involved with PAC (Phangan Animal Care) and have already done some beach cleaning in Chaloklum for example.

What happened on the day?
We Literally just turned up at 4pm, we already had a full moon group there so we all met at Same Same and headed to the beach together. They gave us bin bags and it just started like that, with our beers to the ready! Leo also gave us free t-shirts and a dry bag each which still come in very handy.

How many people did you have?
There was three members of staff from Tru Travels and thirteen group members, and the gang loved it!

What did the travellers make of the event?
They absoloutly loved it, the combination of helping out and beer is fantastic. We had a feel good tipsy feeling going on, the boys made it an opportunity to chat up girls!

Do you think it helped spread awareness of looking after the environment?
Yes I do, initially at 4pm there was us and three other groups of three or four  friends, and Thai people who helped at the bars. Most people on the beach were laying around tanning and relaxing but once we got up, more people got involved, plus you got free beer to help. By the time we finished there was eighty to ninety people up compared to twenty or thirty and this meant there was more people to party with that night.

What is your message to visitors to the Full Moon party?
Dont be lazy, there is a bin every five metres, there is no excuse. It is not like Bangkok where there are hardly any bins. It’s just laziness, people forget it’s such a beautiful Island but it does need maintenance.

Would you guys get involved again?
100 percent! We would probably put on an event for Tru Travellers to come, we would make a thing of it, have a bbq then all head down! who wouldn’t do it?!