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Water is the stuff of life, but how often do any of us really think about it?

That’s all set to change this month with the launch of the Love Water campaign on 31st July.

The campaign is led by a coalition of over 40 organisations including LOVEmyBEACH, the Environment Agency, Water UK, National Farmer’s Union (NFU), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), water companies and others. We are proud to be supporting this campaign which aims to connect people to water to ensure we all value this precious resource.

The Love Water campaign focuses on three key themes:
• encouraging people to use water wisely
• helping people to understand how they can reduce pollution in their local environment
• encouraging people to get out and enjoy their local water environment

Clean and plentiful water is a government priority with a clear ambition set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan.

Zephie Begolo, Campaign Manager for LOVEmyBEACH said: “We are really excited to be working with the LoveWater coalition. Working together means we will be able to do a better job of protecting our oceans, rivers and lakes, keeping them clean and safe and making sure there is enough to go round.

“We can all make a difference to water quality in our daily lives, whether it’s only flushing the 3 P’s (pee, poop and paper), picking up after our dog, or not disposing of fats, oils and greases down the drain. We all have a part to play and we can all #ShowWaterSomeLove!”

Love Water aims to give everyone the knowledge they need to make the right decisions for them and for the environment. It will make us think about those seemingly innocuous actions we take that can have damaging consequences for the water environment. Actions such as flushing wet wipes down the loo, tipping waste liquids down roadside drains, washing greasy pans in the sink which all affect water quality, or leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth, wasting up to 12 litres of water.
It’s time we all took action.

Together we can show water some love and keep our rivers, lakes and seas clean and healthy, and make sure we keep our water supplies flowing.

Follow the campaign on Twitter @LoveWaterUK

This summer, people across the North West are being invited to get down to the coast as an exciting programme of events is launched to get people active on the beach to improve their health and well-being.

The Active Coast programme will launch in the week commencing 22^nd July, when local authorities across the North West coast will be showcasing a diverse range of activities that cater for everyone, no matter your age, ability or interests.

Research shows that getting out, connecting with your natural environment and being active regularly can have multiple health benefits, from losing weight to improving heart function and relieving anxiety and depression.

Our beaches are a fantastic, but underused resource that can help us keep healthy in body and mind. They are free and easy to access and can be used for almost everything, from a high intensity run, team sports or even a stroll or meditation. Everyone can use our beautiful beaches which are now the cleanest and safest they have been in decades.

This year, the Active Coast programme seeks to appeal to more people and includes a broader range of activities that fall into five categories: sports; environment; community action; walk and relaxation and arts and culture. There is something for everyone on our coast and we hope that people will be inspired to use our beaches more.

Some of the activities residents can expect this year include brand new Cycle Rides in Wyre; a series of beach activities in Fylde featuring volleyball, rounders and football; the Flowers and Butterflies of Walney walk; a taster Fun Sail in Morecambe and much more!

More information on planned activities will be available on lovemybeach.org where we will be launching a new section of our website!

World Oceans Day reminds us all of the actions we can take to help protect and conserve our oceans. It’s a chance for us to change behaviour, challenge others and celebrate one of our greatest natural assets.

We work with our partners including Marine Conservation Society, Keep Britain Tidy, Surfers Against Sewage, water companies, local authorities and others to raise awareness through #BinIt4Beaches campaigns. BinIt4Beaches focuses on the positive steps we can all take to protect beaches, bathing waters and wildlife. One of those steps is what we flush down the loo.

Plastic pollution comes in all shapes and sizes and from multiple sources, including our toilets. Sewage related debris – the term used for items such as wet wipes, plastic cotton bud sticks, tampon applicators, sanitary towels and nappies, is regularly found littering our beaches and waters because it’s been incorrectly flushed down the loo.

Last year, Marine Conservation Society reported that over 18,000 items of sewage related debris were collected from beaches during the Great British Beach Clean 2018. 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 water 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.

While the figures recorded by Marine Conservation Society during last year’s beach clean are slightly down on 2017 they are still shockingly high. The number of wet wipes alone littering beaches represents a 300% increase over the last decade.

Toilets are not bins, they are meant only for the 3Ps; pee, poo and paper. Flushing items such as wet wipes, sanitary products and cotton bud sticks isn’t disposing of them, it’s environmental littering.

Help us and together we can protect and restore our ocean. #BinIt4Beaches.

Happy World Oceans Day!