Fine and sandy - Sunderland's beaches scoop Blue Flag and Seaside Awards

Sunderland's beaches have once more been recognised as among the best of British.

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has today, Tuesday, May 14, announced the winners of the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2024 - including Roker and Seaburn.

The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and promoting the country’s best beaches. Sunderland’s beaches are among just 61 sites nationwide to be awarded both titles. 

Sunderland City Council Director of Environmental Services Marc Morley said: “Flying these flags at Roker and Seaburn shows visitors that our seafront is a safe, clean and well-managed space, and that it meets the high standards necessary to be awarded a blue flag.

“Sunderland has a beautiful coastline, but winning these awards is testament to the hard work of everyone who works to maintain our beaches and keep them clean, including the residents and visitors who look after the environment and tidy up after themselves.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said these awards were ‘a credit to the collective efforts of beach managers, volunteers, residents and businesses who have worked tirelessly to maintain, protect and improve some of our best-loved and most popular beaches’.

“We’d like to take this moment to recognise and applaud them,” she added.

“Visitors to a beach flying a Blue Flag can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards.

“The Blue Flag is the world’s most recognised award for beaches and marinas and, to qualify, each applicant must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria.

“Seaside Awards are presented to the best beaches in England and celebrate the quality and diversity of our coastline.”

Blue Flag is an international award managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education.

It is only presented to beaches with water which has achieved the highest classification as set by the EU Bathing Water Directive and has an environmental education programme.

Seaside Awards are presented to the best beaches in England and celebrate the quality and diversity of our coastline.

Among the criteria beaches are assessed against are:

• Safety and services, such as first aid, lifeguards where necessary
• Environmental information including displaying details about local eco systems
• Water quality – Blue Flag beaches must meet the ‘excellent’ water quality standard as set out in the EU bathing water directive and Seaside Award winners must meet the 'sufficient’ standard.
• Environmental management, including litter and waste.