IT takes a lot of dedication to keep our beaches clean, but volunteers have gone one step further in their efforts to make the coastline more attractive to visitors.

Inspired by a trip to Seaford, in Sussex, the Friends of Canvey’s Concord Beach have started crafting their own wooden benches for the beach.

They were spurred into action because they were unhappy about the concrete slabs provided by Castle Point Council for seating.

Chairman Colin Letchford, 64, of Maurice Road, Canvey, even engraves the benches, and dedicated one to charity supporter Doris Flaherty, in celebration of her 104th birthday earlier this year.

He said: “It is a good feeling taking care of the beach and walking along it to see people sitting on the benches. “Sometimes I sit down and talk to people to tell them about how we make them.”

The benches, made from mahogany hardwood, is funded from money raised by the group. Each bench costs about £300 to make and takes around three weeks to construct.

Firstly, the wood is planed down to size by Mr Letchford in his garage workshop.

The pieces are then given four coats of varnish by Doreen Blamey, of Kings Park, before the benches are assembled by the group and bolted in place at the beachside.

Two benches have so far been installed opposite the Concord Beach tidal paddling pool, allowing parents to sit as they watch their children.

The group plans to install a further 15 benches along the beach provided they can raise enough money to fund them.

Volunteer Barry Palmer, 63, of Linden Way, Canvey, said: “There is a great level of satisfaction to be had from what we do. If we think there is something which needs doing to the beach, we will just go out and do it, unlike the council which has to go through all time-consuming procedures.

“People sometimes say to us why do you do it, it will all just get vandalised, but we cannot live to the lowest common denominator.”

Volunteers have also taken on other tasks including painting sea defences, cleaning up weeds and rubbish along the beach, installing notice boards and planting daffodils along the verges.

Dot Palmer, 64, of Linden Way, Canvey, said: “It seems as though people really respect us and the work we do. More people are being attracted to the beach because of what we do.”

The group’s latest ambition is to try to increase disabled access to the beach, by getting Essex County Council to install disabled parking bays at the bottom of the grass verges leading up to the sea defences, and improving the pathways and steps there.

The group will have a stall at Canvey Town Council’s Christmas event on November 26, to fundraise for its projects.