Join campaign to get Blue Flag for Winthorpe beach

Volunteers who took part in the Big Summer Beach Clean near Seaview Car Park in Skegness. ANL-170918-121140001

The man behind it is Ian Mann – a supporter of the voluntary group Coastal Access for All (CAFA) - who held a beach clean in Skegness at the weekend.

Volunteers will be meeting this morning on Winthorpe beach to kick the campaign off with another beach clean and everyone is welcome to help.

Mr Mann said: “I walk from Chapel to the Pier in Skegness all the time and without Paul and the volunteers clearing sand off the path over the years you probably couldn’t do that now.

Coastal Access for All volunteer Paul Marshall (left) took part in one of his final beach cleans at the weekend before he retires. ANL-170918-121156001

“Even though the council has litter pickers there are always bags of rubbish when we go out.

“There are Blue Flags on a beach in Skegness and now Bibbys’ beach at Ingoldmells Point has one, so it got me thinking how nice it would be to stop the bad publicity about rubbish.

“Think how many more people would come to Winthorpe if it had a Blue Flag beach, because people will come if they know it’s clean.”

CAFA volunteers met in the Seaview car park on Skegness on Saturday for one of the last beach cleans of the year – and to record findings for the Marine Conservation Society.

Coastal access for All volunteers, locals and children took part in the the Big Summer Beach Clean in Skegness. ANL-170918-121116001

It was an emotional event for Paul Marshall, who has run beach cleans in the area for years on behalf CAFA and is shortly to retire.

Twenty-two bags of rubbish were removed by 31 volunteers. Paul said: “CAFA teamed up with Marine Conservation Society for their annual Big Summer Beach Clean Weekend.

“All around the UK groups like CAFA were running beach cleans, including at Gibraltar Point and Anderby Creek. We record what we find which will then go onto The Marine Conservations data base to help their fight on waste in our seas.”

Mr Mann said: “We had a fantastic turnout with holidaymakers and locals taking part and would like to thank them all. We removed one iron bar, loads of cans and plastic bottles, nappies, food waste and general litter.

”We hope lots of volunteers join us in Winthorpe - let’s get a Blue Flag here too.”

l To join today’s beach clean in Winthorpe, meet at The View in Winthorpe Avenue at 10am.