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New Beach Clean Group in Formby

This summer local residents Tracy, Amber and Carla have taken it upon themselves to set up a new beach clean group in Formby.

Named the Formby and Freshfield Beach Litter Angels the group currently conduct 1 to 2 beach cleans a week, normally late in the evening in order to give people who work and those with young families the opportunity to get involved.

The group meet at Freshfield Squirrels car park, Victoria Road and spend one hour cleaning the beach of plastic pollution; some washed in and some sadly left by visitors.

Unfortunately equipment is limited at this early stage of the groups formation; LOVEmyBEACH have been able to support with some gloves and bin bags in the short term and will be working with the group and the National Trust to see what else can be arranged.

Please join them if you can, bringing along your own gloves and litter picker if you have one.

Click here to redirected to our volunteering calendar.

Help keep beaches clean with our Business Pack

We have put together a business pack full of information and ideas about how your business can operate in a beach friendly way and spread the LOVEmyBEACH message.

Simple steps such as disposing of kitchen fats in the bin rather than down the sink, or putting stickers on your toilets asking people to put disposable products in the bin and not the toilet, can all help make a difference.

All you need to do is complete the business checklist and return it to us by email enquiries@lovemybeach.org .

To say thanks we’ll send you a window sticker and certificate to proudly display so everyone knows you’re a LOVEmyBEACH business.

Download the Business pack (1725 downloads) and become a LOVEmyBEACH business today.

Keeping Crosby Beach Clean

We’ve partnered with Crosby Leisure Centre and launched the third two minute beach clean board on the Sefton coast this week, with others being hosted at Ainsdale and Formby beach.

The boards are a concept designed and built in Cornwall but thanks to the LOVEmyBEACH campaign there are now 10 boards stationed across the North West coast.

The simple A-frame structure hosts several litter pickers, bin bags and instructions on how to safely get involved. They’re designed to encourage anyone and everyone to participate in keeping the beach clean, even for just two minutes.

Lee Carnwell, General Manager at Crosby Leisure Centre said, “When we were approached to be a host for a Two Minute Beach Clean Board we were more than happy to support the scheme. Keeping the beach clean and improving environmental awareness in Crosby is really important to us. We have recently done a lot of work to remove and reduce single use plastics in our Cafe Vita. Our centre is used by a lot of beach users for refreshments and toilets so having the board located here acts as a reminder that we can all help to keep the beach clean.”

The beach at Crosby benefits from cleansing activities from Sefton Council but in the past 2 years ago support has been received by volunteer group Friends of Crosby Beach. Established by local residents Val Talbot and Barbara Ramsbottom, the group, who run a monthly beach clean, started with 7-12 volunteers, however popularity and interest has grown resulting in up to 100 people coming along each month to help clean the beach.

Barbara commented, “The support from everyone who volunteers is fantastic! It shows that there is a real demand from local residents to improve the beach environment. I have no doubt that the Two Minute Beach Clean Board at Crosby Leisure Centre will be really popular and help us clear up the plastic pollution in our ocean.”

Stephanie Wyatt, LOVEmyBEACH Campaign Manager added: “The North West beaches and seas are the cleanest they’ve been in over 20 years and the boards, and the people who use them, will contribute to maintaining these standards.

Get involved and inspire others to get involved by posting a photo on social media and using #2minutebeachclean and #lovemybeach

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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.