Volunteers across the county are giving up their spare time to help keep the Lancashire coast clean for everyone.

The LOVEmyBEACH campaign was created in 2013 by Keep Britain Tidy and the local chapter organises volunteer groups and beach clean-ups up and down the length of the Fylde coast and Morecambe Bay.

The litter on our beaches has two main sources; 'ghost gear' from the fishing industry which washes up on the coast and rubbish dropped by day-trippers, along with occasional incidents of fly-tipping.

Rubbish from beach users tends to be single-use items – such as disposable barbeques, glass and plastic drinks bottles, buckets, spades, takeaway food containers – that are discarded on the beach or promenade.

Many of these items are washed into the area from down rivers and streams, causing them to gather on the shores and beaches.
Items made from plastic impact wildlife and contribute to the scourge of microplastics impacting oceans and food chains globally, while other items, such as glass bottles and disposable barbeques, represent a threat to the health and safety of beach users.

Ghost gear including fish crates, netting, lobster pots, buoys and monofilament fishing line presents a massive threat to local wildlife. Recent storms such as the trio of Dudley, Eunice and Franklin which hit most of the UK in quick succession in February 2022 also brings extra flotsam to the coastline.

Great British Life: Knott End PromenadeKnott End Promenade (Image: John Lenehan)

Below is a selection of regular volunteer meet-ups, go to the Love My Beach website to learn about more events and how you can get involved.

Bispham
The Bispham volunteers meet on the first Monday morning of each month at 11am at the Highlands Pub on Queen’s Promenade.

Knott End-on-Sea
The Knott End-on-Sea team meet one Tuesday morning a month at the car park by the ferry slipway/behind the coastguard station.

Fleetwood Estuary
Local residents of Harbour Village in Fleetwood join up every last Wednesday of the month to keep the Wyre estuary clean and free of litter.

Fairhaven
The Fairhaven Coastal Care group meet every Wednesday at 10am at Fairhaven Road car park.

Fleetwood Beach Clean
Volunteers meet up at Rossall Point Tower Fleetwood at 10.30 am every Thursday to help clean Rossall Point beach and dunes in Fleetwood.

Blackpool
A group of volunteers meet every other Saturday at 10.30 am at the Tram Depot to clean the coast between Starr Gate an the Solaris Centre in the south of the resort town.