The LOVEmyBEACH campaign was created in 2013 by Keep Britain Tidy and has received strong support from individuals and partners across the region as we work together to keep our local beaches and bathing waters clean. You don’t have to live by the sea to make a difference – wherever you live, work, visit in the North West, you can help to support LOVEmyBEACH.

Our supporters

United Utilities

United Utilities have spent more than £4 million on a coastal modelling survey, which has helped the Turning Tides partnership pinpoint network improvements to prevent pollution reaching our seas. In addition to this you'll often find groups of United Utilities staff volunteering on beach cleans along the coast.
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Douglas Catchment Partnership

Douglas Catchment Partnership are supporting LOVEmyBEACH and improved water quality in the river catchment. The partner organisations working in the Douglas catchment do lots of great work for water quality which in turn helps keep the sea water clean - thanks Douglas partnership!
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Wyre Waters Catchment Partnership

The Wyre Catchment Partnership works to improve water quality in the River Wyre, which not only improves habitat for wildlife but helps keep the sea clean along the coast. Working with LOVEmyBEACH on Knott End beach cleans and getting the message out there about water quality Wyre Waters are a great supporter!
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Ribble Life Catchment Partnership

The Ribble Life Catchment Partnership take action for cleaner water in rivers and at the coast so are supporting LOVEmyBEACH in getting the message to everyone about how we can all improve water quality. Whether it's rain water harvesting or checking your septic tank, Ribble have a great Water-friendly Homes Guide that shows how we can all do our bit.
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Wyre Council

Wyre Council is a great supporter of LOVEmyBEACH, particularly in practical terms helping get the message out there! There is lots of information about LOVEmyBEACH at Rossall Point observation tower near Fleetwood - this is also where we run a monthly beach clean with volunteers and the Wyre rangers.
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Blackpool Council

Blackpool is still the number 1 seaside destination in the UK so for Blackpool Council it's great to be part of LOVEmyBEACH. Blackpool Council support local businesses to do their bit to look after the beaches and bathing waters - something which is really important to everyone in Blackpool, both for the local community and visitors.
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Fylde Borough Council

Fylde Borough Council are proud to support LOVEmyBEACH. This is particularly shown with the assistance given to the three beach clean groups that operate on the Fylde coast and are working together with the council for cleaner seas.
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Lancaster City Council

We are proud to be supporting LOVEmyBEACH. Everyone in our district can help improve our bathing water quality and LOVEmyBEACH will help us achieve this. There is a long way to go to ensure our bathing waters pass the tougher quality standards but each small contribution that people can make will make a huge difference.
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Merlin Entertainments

SEA LIFE Blackpool is a partner of LOVEmyBEACH and part of the beach watch initiative. Running monthly beach cleans in Blackpool, the SEA LIFE team are dedicated to reducing marine litter and highlighting the importance of this. Check out the 'Volunteering' page for details of Blackpool beach cleans.
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Morecambe Bay Partnership

Morecambe Bay Partnership is a small charity that makes big things happen. As one of the host organisations for LOVEmyBEACH in Morecambe Bay and Cumbria we're working hard to bring benefits to the communities, heritage and environment around the bay.
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Our partnership

Turning Tides is a partnership of organisations working together in North West England to do everything we can to improve the quality of our bathing waters. Through infrastructure, planning, campaigning, volunteering, educating, engaging and hard work, our aim is to make sure everyone enjoys our beaches for generations to come.

Our board members

Dr Arif Rajpura

Public Health Blackpool 'I’m really pleased to be part of the Turning Tides Partnership as our coastal areas are a significant public health resource. Working with Turning Tides and other public health partners across the North West we hope to maximise the public health opportunities our beaches offer, including those that promote sport and physical activity as well as activities that provide opportunities to alleviate social isolation’
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Peter Hampson

British Destinations "As the trade body for major UK destinations we recognise the vital importance of beaches and bathing waters, not only to the coastal tourism, but also to the wider UK domestic holiday market. It's clearly important to our potential customers that we maintain and improve the quality of the product. Turning Tides is an effective way of getting that message out to visitors, local residents and businesses across the North West."
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Ian Frost

Allerdale Council 'Allerdale has a wonderful and diverse coastline which includes the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and which needs to be protected for all to enjoy. This is why the Council supports LOVEmyBEACH and Turning Tides.'
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Jim Black

Sefton Council ‘Sefton Council recognise the importance of protecting local coastal areas. The Turning Tides partnership will provide an opportunity to generate a greater understanding and appreciation of bathing water quality. We want people to understand what has been done and is being done to improve bathing water quality and what we can all do about it for the benefit of everyone who uses or visits the North West’s wonderful beaches and coastal areas.’
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Richard McIlwain

Keep Britain Tidy ‘As a national charity that works extensively with communities to improve their local environments, we’re delighted to be part of the Turning Tides partnership. It’s increasingly important to recognise that we can all play a role in improving our beaches and bathing water through simple changes to everyday behaviours at home, at work and at the beach.’
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Keith Haslett

United Utilities “The North West’s beaches & bathing waters are fantastic places for our customers to enjoy, as well as attracting tourists throughout the year. Our investment in the past decade, together with our key partners, has delivered great results & we are all very proud of that achievement, especially given the importance of tourism to the regional economy. The Turning Tides partnership has an important & on-going role, through the LOVEmyBEACH campaign, to continue this performance & help raise awareness of the contribution everyone can make to protect & enhance the region’s bathing waters.”
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Neil Jack

Blackpool Council ‘The North West is home to some of the most spectacular beaches and inland bathing waters, they are our playground and our livelihood, so it's important we do everything to ensure our waters are clean and safe. I'm delighted to Chair the Turning Tides Partnership which aims to drive change and deliver best practice with our partners. We'll strive to improve our beaches and bathing waters, providing a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone now and in the future.’
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Keith Ashcroft

Environment Agency ‘Our coast has some of the country’s most visited and iconic beaches. We are also fortunate to have incredible inland bathing waters on Lake Windermere, which attract visitors from across the world. This partnership is vitally important to help protect and improve these bathing waters however we cannot do it alone. We all need to play our part to ensure we have bathing waters that are great asset that we can be proud of.’
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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: https://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.