TOP Radio 1 DJ sent one of his team to help clean up a Gwynedd beach in the run up to the area’s biggest ever music festival.
The Chris Moyles Show producer Aled Haydn Jones joined 50 Bangor University students on a clean up of Hell’s Mouth, near Abersoch, as the warm up to Radio 1’s Big Weekend began.
Aled, who hails from Aberystwyth, was delighted that so many students turned up and that they were not just taking part for tickets they would receive for the event at the Faenol Estate this weekend.
“It’s been absolutely brilliant. I had a quite word with them over lunch and over half of them said they would be interesting in doing this again,” he said.
“It’s all about using the Big Weekend to make people aware of volunteering and the benefits you can get from it.”
He added that the rest of the breakfast team and afternoon DJ Greg James loved staying in the area.
“We been to places like Barcelona, but everyone has been saying that the venue is the most picturesque setting we’ve ever been in and how beautiful North Wales is,” he said.
“I’m so proud.”
Aled added that the breakfast show team would hold a question and answer session for Bangor University students on Thursday.
The students cleared up more around 50 bags of rubbish including shoes, fishing line, plastic bottles and lighters.
First year French student Amber Brindley,19, said she looked forward to seeing Biffy Clyro and Pendulum at the event.
Amber said: “It’s great knowing that you’ve made a difference and also having an incentive to do it.”
20-year-old sports science student Patrick Smith was part of the team that won VIP tickets by making a sculpture from the rubbish that they collected.
He said: “I surf on this beach so it will be nice to walk on sand and not plastic bottles for a change.”
The event was held in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society.
Litter policy officer Dr Sue Kinsey said that day made the students aware of the problems caused by litter on beaches.
Dr Kinsey said: “The council and other agencies do their best to keep the beaches clean but there will always be problems because of the beaches’ geographical position,” she said.
“This day is about making people aware that there is a problem.”
For more information on Radio 1’s Big Weekend, visit www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend.