Alpha Travel Insurance stub out cigarette litter with an Urban Beach Clean

15 staff-members from leading travel insurance company tifgroup, the brand behind Alpha Travel Insurance, took part in their first #UrbanBeachClean close to their office in Maidstone, Kent. They helped clean up their local area as part of their ongoing partnership with us. Alpha staff are also raising funds to support The SEALIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary – the world’s first ocean sanctuary for captive whales which is being created in partnership with us here at Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

The morning was spent at Alpha’s headquarters where WDC End Captivity policy manager, Rob Lott, gave a presentation about the sanctuary to an enthusiastic group of Alpha brand advocates. After asking and answering a host of questions about Little White and Little Grey, the first two belugas to start a new life in the sanctuary, and changing into some #UrbanBeachClean t-shirts, everyone was ready to head into town.

Staff members from across different departments split into teams and collected over 700 separate items of litter in just one hour. Items included 150 plastic food packets, 115 pieces of card and paper, 14 plastic bags and a whopping 246 cigarette butts! Some of the stranger items found included pants and socks (!), a car floor mat and even a broken piece of a computer hard drive!

Alpha team members picking up those pesky cigarette butts

Rachel Conaghan, Brand Manager at Alpha Travel Insurance said,  ‘Our team have been following Little White and Little Grey’s journey closely, and to take part in WDC’s #UrbanBeachClean has been another way we have been able to get involved in supporting this amazing cause. We were delighted that Rob, Sophie and Sally from WDC visited us and the team loved hearing all about Little White and Little Grey. The #UrbanBeachClean was such a success and things actually got quite competitive! Plastic pollution is everywhere and considering we are located near the Medway River, which feeds directly into the Thames Estuary, it is all the more important we are mindful about how we throw away our rubbish. A huge thank you to Rob, Sophie and Sally for their enthusiasm and expertise – we really appreciate it!’

Alpha Travel Insurance have been supporting WDC and our work to end captivity for over two years, having removed ‘swim-with-dolphins’ trips from their policy cover as well as raising over £12,000 by donating 10% of all base premiums using the WDCAlpha code, to support The Beluga Whale Sanctuary.

The funds they’ve raised so far could provide food for one of the belugas in the sanctuary for a year!

With Alpha’s support, we have been able to raise awareness of the issues surrounding ‘swim-with-dolphins’ trips as well as the devastating effects captivity has on whales and dolphins. More than 3,000 whales and dolphins are in captivity today and with the help of companies like Alpha, we are working hard to create sanctuaries and ensure a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

You can support the sanctuary by purchasing your next travel insurance policy from Alpha Travel Insurance. Use the code WDCAlpha to donate 10% of your base premium (after IPT), which will be donated to WDC!

Visit Alpha Travel Insurance to find out more!

The Alpha team celebrates their hard work cleaning up Maidstone Town Centre!