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Get healthy on the beach

LOVEmyBEACH Active Coast is a partnership programme supported by Blackpool Council, Wyre Council, Fylde Council, Keep Britain Tidy and the Turning Tides partnership. The programme has been designed to inspire residents & leisure partners to see the potential of the beach as a clean and safe environment where a healthy lifestyle can be enjoyed.

The programme launched at St Annes, Blackpool Central & Fleetwood on the 11th June showcasing a selection of the activities taking place over the summer on the Fylde coast, from beach volleyball to walking football.

Director of Public Health in Blackpool, Dr Arif Rajpura added, “The beach shouldn’t just be seen as a place for visitors; it’s a clean and safe environment where a healthy lifestyle can be enjoyed year round.”

The programme has been created for all ages and abilities.

Full event listings are displayed on the LOVEmyBEACH Active Coast Facebook page, click here to be redirected.

If you would like to arrange a sports event at the beach please contact the following people:

For Fylde – Ian Brookes, Sports Officer on ian.brookes@fylde.gov.uk

For Wyre – Carol Southern, Active Lives and Community Engagement Manager on Carol.Southern@wyre.gov.uk

ReFILL on the Fylde Coast

Throughout 2018 Fylde BeachCare have been developing the ReFILL scheme on the Fylde coast; asking businesses to help reduce single-use plastic consumption by offering free tap water refills to people using their own bottles.

Many people now carry their own reusable water bottles and like to stay hydrated and avoid buying bottled water however it is often difficult to top up with tap water on the go. Research shows that 70% of people would be nervous of asking for a tap water refill, so the scheme aims to overcome this by asking local businesses to display a sticker in their window with the ReFILL logo highlighting their support.

Since starting in January the number of businesses offering ReFILL on the Fylde coast has now grown to 70, with large chains such as Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Wetherspoons signing up nationally and many independent cafes and shops following suit. It’s not only cafes and restaurants that can join the scheme, Boots Opticians in Cleveleys and Blackpool have both registered as have Blackpool and Fylde Tourist Information Centres.

The ReFILL scheme has received support from the Blackpool Gazette and also the BeachCare volunteers who have been approaching businesses and asking for them to put a sticker in their window.

However, we need help to sign up even more businesses!

Do you own or work for a local business?

Do you know someone who does?

Would you like to volunteer some time to talk to businesses about ReFILL?

Please get in touch with Emma here for more information.

Emma Whitlock from LOVEmyBEACH with Michelle Burrows from Compass Cafe Bar, which has signed up for the Water ReFill Campaign

World Oceans Day

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) 2017 Great British Beach Clean highighted that 8.5% of debris found on the beach was related to what we flush down the toilet.

Considering that over 255,000 pieces of litter were collected in just 1 weekend as part of the MCS survey that equals over 20,000 items incorrectly being flushed down the toilet. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The majority of items incorrectly flushed down the toilet are caught by filters at the waste waster treatment plants; the recorded items found on the beach survey are those which are either too small for the filters or are the result of a sewage overflow after heavy rain.

These numbers suggest that 1000’s of people are incorrectly flushing plastics down the toilet every day.

So, what types of plastics are being flushed?

Below are a list of commonly flushed items, all of which are made of plastic or contain plastic fibres. Many of these are found by beach clean volunteeres washed up on our beaches:

Cotton bud sticks
Wet wipes
Tampon applicators
Sanitary towels
Nappies

To celebrate World Oceans Day on June 8^th we’re working with partners across the UK to raise awareness about this source of plastic pollution and asking everyone to take a stand against plastic pollution and #binit4beaches instead.

Will you take the pledge to flush only the 3P’s; pee, poo and (toilet) paper?

Join our Thunderclap to show your support and help reduce Plastic Pollution in our oceans today!

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/70116-please-binit4beaches

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Water quality

The Environment Agency monitors bathing waters – stretches of sea or lake where many people swim and paddle – to assess whether they meet the strict standards of the European Bathing Water Directive. The standards are set to protect public health and the environment from pollution.

The Environment Agency takes 20 water samples at each bathing water between May and September each year and post the information online: http://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/

The samples are tested for certain types of bacteria: escherichia coli (E.coli) and intestinal enterococci, which are not directly harmful but indicate the presence of pollution. The bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and humans and pass through the body in poo. High levels of bacteria = poor water quality.

However, the water may be cleaner on the actual day you visit the beach, as the quality can change, particularly after heavy rain washes pollution into rivers and the sea. Look out for daily forecasts at some beaches.

Each beach is also given an annual classification. From 2015 this is based on sample results over the previous four years, e.g. 2015 results use data from 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. 2016 results use data from 2013 to 2016 and so on. The classifications are:

Excellent

The standard is the highest, cleanest class

Good

Generally good water quality

Sufficient

The water meets the minimum standards

Poor

Bathing is not advised at this beach as water quality has not met sufficient standards

If a bathing water is classed as Poor, you are advised not to bathe because samples taken over the previous four years have been affected by pollution. This does not mean the beach is closed – you can still enjoy everything the beach has to offer.

If a water sample has high levels of bacteria, analysis is done to estimate* the sources of pollution and work is planned in the area to improve water quality. When this work is significant and is expected to help improve bathing water quality, the four years of data for the annual classification starts from the time the work is completed and sample data from before the work are not included. This is called step change.

*Estimates are based on computer modelling, DNA analysis, and knowledge of the local area. The estimates can never be perfect because pollution to bathing waters changes from day to day depending on the season, the tides and the weather.