For the fifth year running, Rock-based Sharp’s Brewery has helped Cornish beaches become recognised as amongst the best in the world, ensuring that Blue Flags and Seaside awards can be seen flying high over the coastline.
The iconic Blue Flag, an international quality mark for beaches, reassures visitors and residents that Cornwall’s beaches are clean, safe and recommended, boosting tourism, business and helping inspire return visits.
Blue Flags and Seaside awards are only awarded to coastal destinations that boast the highest qualities of water, facilities, safety, Keep Clean programmes, environmental education and management.
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Three of Bude’s beaches have been lucky enough to scoop the prestigious award, Summerleaze, Crooklets and Widemouth. The newest addition to the award-winning Cornish beach team is Crackington Haven, set between Bude and Boscastle. The beach with its stony foreshore and golden sand will now be very proudly flying its Seaside award for the next year.
Bude RNLI member. Ted Hambley was grateful for the announcement. He said: “It’s great, it helps us be recognised and for the work we do. Also the beach quality has clearly improved. Our numbers have also increased. The water safety quality has improved.”
Bude RNLI’s target for the future is to continue doing what they’re doing, to be able to retain the award again next year according to Ted.
He continued: “What I think helped was this year, we extended our presence on the beach during the Easter period and will continue right through till summer. When we realised some of the local schools were off at different times, I think we only had the one week off at Easter.
“The main season starts this weekend (May 17) and we’ll continue to do weekly water checks. What we’ve done has clearly paid off.”
Ted gave some advice for people coming to use the beaches over the busy summer period. He said: “I just want to remind people, if there are no flags on the beaches then there won’t be any lifeguards on duty. The yellow and red flags are for people to swim between and if the red flags are out, it indicates danger.
“If any visitors are unsure about something or need to speak with someone, go and ask the lifeguards as they will he happy to help.”
Ado Shorland, founder of the Widemouth Task Force group, was ecstatic with the news. He said: “Widemouth have done it again! For the fifth year running Widemouth Bay has received the two highest accolades in beach care and facilities! With a lot of hard work from; Widemouth Task Force; Poundstock Parish Council; Biffa; Keep Britain Tidy; RNLI; and the many locals who clean our village and beaches daily, we have successfully fulfilled the criteria needed for both awards.
“Widemouth successfully receiving the prestigious Blue Flag award and The Seaside Award is a huge achievement and is testament to all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes by the whole community. Thank you!”
Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Public Protection, Sue James, said: “We are thrilled to once again have so many Cornish beaches represented amongst the world’s best. The 22 Blue Flag and Seaside awards are an important symbol of what we who live here already know – that Cornish beaches are in fact world-class.
“I want to thank everyone across the Cornish community who selflessly and tirelessly dedicate their time to looking after our beautiful beaches. Our local staff and many volunteers who raise awareness about harmful marine litter and organise beach cleans play a really valuable role in helping us to protect and maintain Cornwall’s reputation as a great place to live and a wonderful place to visit. They should all be rightly proud of these awards. I also want to thank Sharp’s Brewery for once again playing a key role in sponsoring the Blue Flag and Seaside applications.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “It is fantastic news for Cornwall’s holiday-makers, overseas visitors, residents and businesses that we have been able to award an amazing 22 flags to the county’s beaches this year. The support from Sharp’s Brewery is invaluable in supporting both Cornwall’s beaches and volunteers, and the Blue Flag more widely – which improves the quality of England’s coastline and promotes our best beaches.
“The success of Cornwall’s beaches in reaching the very high standards of both awards is a real testament to all those who have worked so hard to protect and improve our beaches – from beach managers and volunteers to local people and businesses.”
Sharp’s provides the funding for Cornwall Council to make the applications for the awards and the team continues to work with the volunteer communities who work to make this fantastic achievement possible. (Carbis Bay, which has been awarded both a Seaside and Blue Flag award, is the only Cornish beach that has self-funded its own application through Carbis Bay Hotel).
Over £42,000 towards the costs of these applications, and other vital Blue Flag related projects, has been provided over five years as well as other related programmes such as the donation of a number of litter pickers to the community interest group, Beach Guardian, and collaboration on Keynvor with Universal Music to raise money for the Cornwall-based charity Surfers Against Sewage.
The iconic Blue Flag, an international quality mark for beaches, reassures visitors and locals alike that Cornwall’s key areas are clean, safe and recommended, boosting tourism, business and helping inspire return visits. Blue Flags and Seaside awards are only awarded to coastal destinations that boast the absolute highest qualities of water, facilities, safety, Keep Clean programmes, environmental education and management.
Keep Britain Tidy, the organisation responsible for the awards in the UK, announced on May 15 that 15 beaches in Cornwall have been awarded either one, or both of the status marks. These include 15 Seaside awards and seven Blue Flags, making Cornwall a great destination for beachgoers and ocean adventurers to visit all year round. Some beaches have received both Blue Flag and Seaside awards to achieve this number.
Thanks to all the hard work of the local beach champions, Cornwall Council and the funding from Sharp’s Brewery, 22 iconic Blue Flags and Seaside award flags, will fly over the beaches, including Widemouth Bay near Bude for a Blue Flag, amongst Gyllyngvase (Falmouth), Porthmeor (St Ives), Great Western (Newquay), Porthtowan, Trevone Bay and Carbis Bay (self-funded).
For a Seaside award, beaches include Crackington Haven, Summerleaze, Crooklets and Widemouth Bay, all near or in Bude, amongst Gyllyngvase (Falmouth), Great Western (Newquay), Perranporth, Polzeath, Porth (Newquay), Porthtowan, Porthmeor (St Ives), Porthminster (St Ives), Sennen Cove, Trevone Bay and Carbis Bay (self-funded).