How to Turn a Beach Walk into Action for Veterans and the Planet

Jul 28

4 min read

Three people holding litter bags labeled "Million Mile Clean" and "Surfers Against Sewage" on a seaside promenade, smiling, cloudy sky. — ACSIS at the finish line. Completing our walk for Fighting With Pride and Surfers Against Sewage

🥾 Eight Bags, One Purpose: What We Found on the Beach (and What We’re Still Looking For)

18km. 4 walkers. 8 bags of litter. A beach walk for veterans and our oceans. And a load of heart.

Last weekend, the ACSIS Life Coaching crew trekked the South Coast from Newhaven to Brighton. A Team consisting of two veterans, one in transition from service, and a family member, each walked with purpose. Not for the steps or the sea air, although both were grounding, but for something deeper.

We picked up rubbish for Surfers Against Sewage. We walked with pride for F ighting With Pride. And we showed that coaching, like leadership, starts with action.

But this isn’t just a reflection. It’s a rallying call. And we need your support.

What’s the Link Between Beach Rubbish and Veteran Voices

You might wonder why life coaches, especially veteran-founded ones, would take on a beach clean-up.

For us, the connection is clear.

Just as veterans often carry the invisible weight of service and transition, our coastlines carry the impact of human neglect. Both deserve care, attention, and respect.

We partnered with Surfers Against Sewage because their mission mirrors our own. Creating cleaner environments, both inside and out.

🌊 Why We Walked for Surfers Against Sewage

Because the beach isn’t a bin.

Because veterans know what it means to clean up after a storm.

Because our oceans, and our future, deserve better.

The stats speak louder than seagulls on chip day:

8 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year
On UK beaches, the top offenders? Cigarette butts, plastic bottles, takeaway cups, and microplastics

These aren’t just unsightly, they’re lethal to marine life

We wanted to do our bit, however small. So we walked. And we picked. And we talked to everyone who asked: “Why are you doing this?”

🏳️‍🌈 Why We Also Walked with Fighting With Pride

Because some of my colleagues were kicked out of the Armed Forces simply for being who they are and love.

Because silence wasn’t safe back then, so we speak up now.

Because Pride isn’t just a month: it’s a mission.

Fighting With Pride supports veterans dismissed due to the UK’s pre‑2000 ban on LGBT service. We walked to honour them. Us. You.

We believe coaching and community can build futures where everyone belongs.

🧹 What We Found on Our Beach Walk for Veterans and the Ocean

Litter, yes. But also hope.

Plastic bottles, fast food wrappers, vape cartridges
Disposable masks and ropes tangled in seaweed
And cigarette butts… so many cigarette butts

We each filled two large bags. Not bad for a day’s work. But the problem’s far from over.

🤝 What We Found in People

Kindness. Curiosity. Connection.

“Thank you for doing this!” shouted walkers and cyclists
A resident came out with bottles of water
Passers-by shared stories—and asked questions that matter

Now, we want to turn those good vibes into good donations.

What Walking Taught Us About Leadership

Leadership does not always look like medals or megaphones. Sometimes it is a quiet step forward. A hand picking up a cigarette butt. A conversation on a windy promenade.

Whether you are a veteran navigating change, a neurodiverse person trying to be heard, or someone who just wants the world to be kinder, you are not alone.

Let’s walk it together.