Brand New Beach Award Crowns First Winners
30 April 2007
SEVENTY THREE beaches across England have been given the thumbs up as top places to visit by receiving the first ever Quality Coast Awards.
Quality Coast Award is a brand new beach award which recognises the diversity and quality of England's coastline.
Beaches are visited for many different reasons ? taking a stroll on the golden sands, swimming in the sea, taking a fun family day out, or having a relaxed recreational mini break.
Each seaside venue has their own uniqueness but no matter how distinctive they are, all these beaches have one thing in common and that?s being recognised for this prestigious award.
Alan Woods, Chief Executive of ENCAMS which runs the Quality Coast Award, said: "The traditional seaside experience of building sandcastles and snacking on ice cream is still favoured by many. But it is just one of the reasons why people go to the coast; others use the beach as a place to walk their dogs or get a breath of fresh air whatever the weather.
"The Quality Coast Award commends those beaches that can offer the best cleanliness, facilities and standards for the type of visitor their sandy stretch attracts."
Launching alongside the awards will be a new website - www.qualitycoast.org - which has been designed for users to search from over 100 criteria. By entering details specifying which area they want to travel to, the facilities they require and the type of beach they would prefer, the site will find the beach that best suits their individual needs.
In addition the website will supply visitors with a bucketful of recommendations including information on the surrounding area, quality awarded accommodation and tips on nearby attractions.
Included in the tally are 11 beaches in the Isle of Wight - the majority of the island's beaches. There has also been significant success up north with 11 beaches in Yorkshire being commended as ideal coastal spots. Plus Sandy Bay in Devon and Cleethorpes Humberston Fitties beach in Lincolnshire, which have never been recognised by any beach award before, are amongst the winners (full list of awarded beaches at end).
Every Quality Coast Award beach has to meet strict criteria including:
- Clean sand free of litter and dog fouling
- Consideration given to pedestrians? safety on and around the beach
- Assessment on how many people the beach can hold at one time
- Good access to the coastal spot
- Any facilities must be clean and in good working order.
Added Alan: "People enjoying our shores are very discerning visitors: they know what they want, when and how. They told us what they need from their beaches and beach awards and we listened. I wish them a great deal of pleasure at these Quality Coast Award beaches."
Click here for the full list of award winning beaches