A year-long survey of litter on beaches within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) will be completed by volunteers taking part in this year’s Great British Beach Clean.

The volunteering initiative - Coast Care - has recruited a small army of volunteers who have been out counting and recording every single piece of litter they have found over the last year.

The final survey takes place over the weekend of 14-17 September to coincide with the Great British Beach Clean and with 18 beaches to survey in four days, Coast Care needs more volunteers to take part.

Laura Shearer and Anna Chouler from Coast Care have organised the surveys and Laura said “The Great British Beach Clean weekend is the ideal event to collect the last data and bring the survey period to a close. The data will be analysed and compare to a similar survey in 2007 which will provide an insight into how the composition and amount of litter has changed.

A report will be produced which will provide us with the data we need to target litter at source rather than waiting until it hits the beach before we do anything about it.”

Community Foundation, serving Tyne Wear and Northumberland have provided funding for the project through their LEAF programme. Newcastle-based law firm Muckle LLP have supported LEAF and specifically this project.

Andrew Davison OBE from Muckle LLP said: “Litter on beaches is a growing problem across the globe and the North East is no exception.

This volunteering initiative not only helps clean our beaches today but the report findings will help to ensure they will be cleaner in the future and will be very valuable for activists and decision makers alike.

We are very pleased as a local business to have been able to support it."

A total of 450 volunteers have contributed over 1500 hours of time so far, cleaning beaches and completing surveys and they will be rewarded with a beach BBQ at the end of the project.

With 18 clean-ups planned between Berwick and Low Hauxley, Coast Care is urging people to come along and help at events across the weekend. Information about each event can be found below with more information at www.coast-care.co.uk or you can search and book onto your local event at www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/events/gbbc

List of events:

Friday 14 September 2018

Seaton Point
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Meeting location: The layby Grid Ref: NU 2648 1257 nearest postcode NE66 3BH

Lindisfarne Headland - Run by National Trust
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Meeting location: Lindisfarne Castle entrance gate

Cocklawburn 
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Meeting location: Cocklawburn Beach car park

Beadnell Bay
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Meeting location: Beadnell Beach car park

Saturday 15 September 2018

Budle Bay 
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Meeting location: The long layby with the white fence

Berwick Pier Road
Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm
Meeting location: The Pier Road car park, TD15 1JD

Amble Links 
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Meeting location: The Old Cemetery, Links Road, Amble. Parking by the Salt Pans on the side of the cemetery

Low Hauxley
Time: 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Meeting location: The village square adjacent to the access to the beach

Spittal 
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Meeting location: The car park at TD15 1SE

Sunday 16 September 2018

Embleton Bay
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Meeting location: The parking bays by Dunstan Steads, NE66 3DT

Alnmouth
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Meeting location: The beach car park, NE66 2RJ

Howdiemont and Sugar Sands
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Meeting location: Howdiemont Beach car park, beyond Low Steads Farm - nearest postcode NE66 3AL

Boulmer
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Meeting location: Beach Car Park, NE66 3BP

Monday 17 September

Goswick - Run by Natural England
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Meeting location: Goswick Golf Club, TD15 2RW

Bamburgh - Run by Bamburgh Women’s Institute
Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Meeting location: The Bamburgh Pavilion, NE69 7DB

Seahouses St Aidans Beach
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Meeting location: St Aidan's, Seahouses, NE68 7SS

Low Newton
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Meeting location: The car park at NE66 3HJ