Latest news with #KeepBritainTidy
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
How to improve your high street
Here are all the links from Rebecca Wilcox's item about how to influence your local community:A tool to find consultations taking place in your area (Link, external)Keep Britain Tidy's 'Litter Heroes' Facebook group (Link, external) and Keep Britain Tidy's contact details (Link, external)Find a community garden near you (Link, external) and a guide to setting up your own community garden (Link, external)Find your MP (Link, external) and find your local councillors (Link, external)
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Litter warning after 50-year-old crisp packet find in Rotherham
A man who found crisp packets thought to be more than 50 years old buried in a hedge has urged people to remember that litter can take a lifetime to break Collett, 53, found the crisp bags near Redscope Primary School in Rotherham when he was picking up litter on 24 said he was shocked to find the packet of Smiths crisps advertised a promotion that ended on 28 March 1975 - a date before he had even started primary school."Any litter is always good to get off the street but the thought that I found such an old piece of rubbish, it was one of shock," Mr Collett said. Mr Collett, who founded volunteer group S61 Litter Pickers four years ago, said the age of the intact crisp packets was "scary"."Straight away, I took a photo of the crisp packet because I knew it was vintage," he said."You might think you're just dropping a crisp packet, but it's going to outlive you."He said he felt it was morally wrong to drop litter and urged people to consider the impact."Think about what you're doing," he said."We've only got one planet. Just think of the consequences." Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy warned that plastic waste could take a long time to break down."Sadly, finding packaging that is decades old is an all-too-familiar thing for our litter-picking volunteers," a spokesperson for the organisation said."Litter, once in the environment, can pollute it for decades or even centuries."Plastics, in particular, don't just 'disappear'. They may break up into smaller and smaller pieces over time but they will still be there, ending up as microplastics." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
The seven Kent beaches crowned UK's best with Blue Flags
Seven beaches within 90 minutes drive of south east London have been named among some of the UK's best. Keep Britain Tidy recently announced the winners of the 38th Blue Flag Awards, with 76 beaches across the UK receiving the coveted award. The awards recognise beaches for their quality, management and facilities, with beaches scored on a number of factors from environment to accessibility. Additionally Keep Britain Tidy also named 120 beaches for the Seaside Award 2025, with 17 in Kent. Out of the 76 beaches named, eight of them were in Kent, with seven being within easy reach of south east London by car or train for a day trip to the coast. Here's what you need to know: A short walk from the popular seaside town of Whitstable, Tankerton Beach offers a single beach flanked by a grassy promenade and its colourful beach huts. This beach is well known for its cleanliness and good water quality for water sports. The quiet beach offers a good spot to relax with friends and family and is a short walk from Whitstable, where you'll find a plethora of cafes, restaurants and shops vying for your attention This postcard-perfect beach, with its striking white chalk cliffs and sea stacks, is the perfect spot for photographers and nature lovers looking for a scenic beach to frequent for the day. This postcard-perfect beach, with its striking white chalk cliffs and sea stacks, is the perfect spot for photographers and nature lovers. (Image: Tourism @ Thanet District Council) This beach holds the Blue Flag and Seaside Award in 2025 and was rated for its cleanliness and safety with seasonal lifeguards and nearby toilets and cafes. But Broadstairs isn't far away if you fancy heading into the town for some lunch or to explore its independent shops as well as its local museums. 6 minutes drive from Broadstairs, Joss Bay offers a sandy stretch of beach which is a prime spot for surfing, with its own surf school and spot to hire equipment. Joss Bay offers a sandy stretch of beach which is a prime spot for surfing, with its own surf school and spot to hire equipment. (Image: Tourism @ Thanet District Council) The beach won both Blue Flag and Seaside Awards this year and was rated for its safe and clean beach with seasonal lifeguards, a beach café and deck chairs to hire, if you fancy relaxing by the sea for the day. Located in the busy and popular town of Margate, Margate Main Sands is a traditional seaside sandy beach with plenty of nearby attractions and easy access from Margate station. Margate Main Sands is a traditional seaside sandy beach with plenty of nearby attractions. (Image: PA) Margate Main Sands was awarded the Blue Flag and Seaside Award and was scored for its safety and water quality. The beach is within a short distance of Dreamland with its plethora of rides and amusements, or you can easily walk to the Old Town where you'll find a huge variety of independent cafes, shops and little museums to explore. 15 minutes drive from Margate, Minnis Bay in Birchington is a family-friendly beach known for its wide expanse of sandy shoreline and quiet setting for those looking for a peaceful beach to relax. The beach also won both awards this year, with top marks for its clean waters and well-maintained facilities, including a children's playground, toilets and deckchairs to hire. Next to Ramsgate's vibrant town and Royal Harbour you'll find Ramsgate Main Sands. This sandy beach won both awards this year for its clean and safe beach, with easy access to nearby cafes and toilets, with seasonal lifeguards on duty. This sandy beach won both awards this year for its clean and safe beach. (Image: Tourism @ Thanet District Council) But if you fancy exploring, Ramsgate has plenty to offer from its network of wartime tunnels to its Victorian glasshouse where you can take afternoon tea. Finally on our list, St Mildred's Bay near Margate offers a sandy beach flanked by a promenade if you fancy a stroll somewhere a little more quiet. The beach won both awards this year, receiving high scores for its water quality and cleanliness if you fancy a swim. The beach is also within easy access of nearby toilets, cafes and has seasonal lifeguards.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Celebrations as two beaches in same town awarded Blue Flag status for the first time
Hastings has been awarded the Blue Flag and Seaside Award status for both Marina and Pelham beaches for the first time. The awards, presented by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognise the best beaches in England. This marks a significant achievement for the town in its efforts to improve and maintain the quality of its coastline. Julia Hilton, deputy leader and councillor responsible for tourism at Hastings Borough Council, said: "We are delighted that Pelham has joined Marina beach in receiving both the Blue Flag and Seaside Award for the first time. "Hastings Borough Council is proud of the quality of the beaches we have in our town. "We work hard alongside fantastic volunteers to keep our beaches clean and maintain the water quality, so it is great to see this work being recognised." The Blue Flag and Seaside Award status is not easily achieved, with strict criteria to be met. This includes excellent bathing water quality, with regular sampling and testing for microbiological and physical-chemical parameters. Councillor Hilton acknowledged the challenges faced with Southern Water, but praised the maintenance of the award status as a "great achievement." She added: "One of the key Blue Flag requirements is excellent bathing water quality. "This includes having sampling points in the areas on our bathing beaches most used, as well as near potential pollution sources on these beaches, such as streams, rivers, or stormwater outlets, to ensure these do not affect water quality. "Samples must be taken regularly at these bathing beaches and tested for both microbiological and physical-chemical parameters." Councillor Hilton also encouraged residents and visitors to help keep the seafront tidy by disposing of rubbish responsibly and reporting full bins on My Hastings. She said: "You can all do your bit to help keep our seafront tidy by putting your rubbish into bins or taking it home with you. "If the bins are full, please report these on My Hastings so our waste teams can empty them." She also reminded beachgoers to check the RNLI website for safety advice and to follow the guidance of on-duty lifeguards.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Devon beach awarded Blue Flag status for 38th year in a row
A popular shingle beach has won an internationally recognised Blue Flag award for the 38th year in a Beach in Torquay has been featured by the programme, which recognises well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and environmental education programmes, since it began in other beaches in Torbay also earned the award for 2025, including Broadsands Beach and Torre Abbey Jackie Thomas said the accolades "would not be possible without the continued hard work" of the harbour authority and other partners. 'England's favourite' She said: "There's a reason the English Riviera remains one of England's favourite resorts, thanks in part to the quality of diversity of our coastline."Torbay's continued recognition from Keep Britain Tidy reflects the ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, water quality, safety, education, and beach management.""I'd also like to thank all of you who visit and enjoy our beaches for doing your part to keep them safe, clean, and beautiful." To qualify for the Blue Flag award, beaches must satisfy standards in four categories with 33 individual targets covering environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, and safety and Flag beaches also have to run a minimum of five educational activities each year making people aware of the importance of looking after the natural environment.A spokesperson for Torbay Council said: "All six of the Blue Flag winners have also been awarded the Seaside Award, alongside Goodrington Beach in Paignton."55 sites were awarded both a Blue Flag and Seaside Award, meaning 11% of England's best beaches are here in Torbay," they added.
