Friends of the Sefton Coast - Beach Clean events
Wed, 16 Mar 2016 Friends of the Sefton Coast Lifeboat Road, Formby, L37 2EB
Join the Coast Rangers to help keep the beach boardwalk accessible. Blown sand accumulates on the boardwalk, making access difficult. With your help we can keep the access route open and accessible. The fresh air and exercise is free!
Meet at the boardwalk, at Lifeboat Road at 1pm. Wear suitable clothing and strong footwear - all tools provided.
Contact 0151 934 2967
Sun, 20 Mar 2016 Friends of the Sefton Coast Hightown Beach, Thornbeck Ave, Hightown, L38 9EY
Join Marine Conservation Society volunteers supported by the Coast Rangers to help clean up the beach at Hightown. All equipment and bin bags will be provided for this clean up and survey task. Please wear suitable clothing, strong footwear and gardening gloves.
Meet at 1pm at the Blundellsands Sailing Club Car Park off Thornbeck Avenue.
Contact 0151 934 2967
Beach clean advice If you’re attending a beach clean, please wear clothing suitable for the weather. We recommend wearing waterproof footwear. All beach clean equipment will be provided, including rubbish bags, litter pickers and gloves. A health and safety brief will be given to all participants before we start a beach clean so please listen carefully. All children under 16 must be supervised by an adult.
We live on such a beautiful and exciting coast here in Sefton with many opportunities on our doorstep for great walks, amazing views and fun for all the family. Friends of the Sefton Coast are passionate about our beaches and are hoping to work with local businesses, communities and schools to help contribute to caring for our beautiful coastline.
They work along Sefton’s natural coast, one of the largest and most spectacular sand dune systems in the country.
Thousands of people enjoy beaches in the North West – taking a dip in the sea, wandering along the beach, playing in the sand, walking the dog, getting some exercise and fresh air, meeting up with friends and sometimes if we’re lucky, basking in the sunshine! We all need to do our bit to make sure everyone enjoys lovely beaches…
What affects water quality at our beaches?
LOVEmyBEACH check the water quality at our beaches at key locations called ‘bathing waters’ – designated stretches of water where people swim and paddle. The Bathing Water Directive sets out standards of water quality based on how much bacteria is in the water when a water sample is taken. By measuring how much bacteria is in the water we can tell how clean it is. Bacteria can come from many places, including pollution in the sea, litter and dog poo on the beach, or from water washed into the sea from inland, particularly after heavy rain.
Tougher standards – they need your help
From 2015 new, tougher European standards called the revised Bathing Water Directive (rBWD) came into force – around twice as stringent as the previous standards. The new annual classification – Excellent, Good, Sufficient, Poor – is based on up to four years of sample results. A ‘poor’ classification means the water doesn’t yet meet the new standards, and people are advised not to swim or paddle at that bathing water. This may mean local people are put off from using their beaches and visitors choose to go elsewhere and could have a negative impact on the reputation of the area, affecting local businesses and tourism, which many people rely on for jobs.
LOVEmyBEACH supporters want our bathing waters to be even cleaner so all our beaches meet the new standards. They are working together to raise water quality standards across the North West so please get involved – small actions can make a difference.
Spotted something that shouldn’t be on the beach?
Please call the Environment Agency’s pollution hotline on 0800 80 70 60, open 24 hours a day.
