Supporting volunteer effort to keep County Durham’s coastline clean
WEARDALE is a long way from the sea but the county’s coastline is becoming THE place to visit and
what better reason to do so than to help keep them tidy?
Anyone can go along and enjoy all the Durham coastline towns have to offer and apart from
breathing in the sea air and improving health and fitness, beach cleaning is the way to enjoy it and
meet like-minded people who want to conserve it all.
Volunteers who help to keep County Durham’s coastline clean will continue to be supported
thanks to council funding – so why not become one of them. It is truly something the whole family
can take part in.
Durham County Council works alongside other local authorities, and organisations such as The
National Trust, Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundwork and Northumbrian Water, as part of the Heritage
Coast Partnership. The partnership aims to conserve, protect and enhance the whole of the Heritage
coastline.
Since 2021, 4,511 volunteers who have supported the partnership have helped collect 5,175 bags
of rubbish from the Durham coastline, through 321 beach cleans. Spanning from Seaham Hall
beach to Crimdon beach, volunteers from schools, colleges and businesses, as well as individuals and
community groups have worked hard to protect the environment.
The council has now provided funding to allow the partnership’s beach care officer to continue in
post for up to three years. The officer will continue to organise the volunteer effort and to engage
with members of the public to develop their understanding of the coast.
Cllr Mark Wilkes, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate
change, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone for their efforts in helping to keep our coastline clean.
Our Heritage Coast is hugely important to County Durham, not just for its stunning scenery but also
its wildlife and natural habitats, with many Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
“Everyone who has volunteered their time is helping to protect this special environment.
“We are committed to ensuring this continues for years to come and that is why we have provided
funding that will allow the partnership’s beach care officer to continue in their post to organise even
more clean ups and help raise awareness of the importance of tidying up after ourselves after a visit
to the beach.”
Emily Routledge, head of development and communications at Durham Wildlife Trust, said: “It is
so important that we all work together through the partnership to do our bit to protect this
incredible environment.
“We want to ensure everyone is able to enjoy our coastline, for generations to come. To do that,
we need to raise awareness of how important this landscape is and make sure that we rally residents
to take charge of their own environment by helping to keep it clean. We look forward to this work
continuing over the next few years.”
Some of the most common items now found during beach cleans include microplastics, plastic
bottles and disposable vapes, with visitors urged to take all rubbish home with them.
For more information on the Heritage Coast Partnership, visit www.durhamheritagecoast.org
To take part in a beach clean or find out more, email
