Newbiggin RNLI continues environmental support

Wednesday 12 March 2025

A safety project to remediate pollution has been continued and is supporting the Great British Spring Clean as well as wild bird habitat.

Volunteers preparing to start cleaning the beach — Lyne bay clean up

Lyne Sands south is located two miles north of Newbiggin RNLI, a popular area for walkers and beach users particularly as it is part of the Northumberland Coast Path. However, significant deposits of beach debris in this area have created hazards for the users and in certain cases, their pets.

Northumberland County Council has completed a £5M scheme further north to clean the coastline and this volunteer driven project was seen as an opportunity to extend an earlier coastal clean up.

The planning came together earlier in the month with over 30 volunteers taking part throughout a challenging blustery morning building on the successes of last year's clean up and delivering a safer environment for beach users as part of the RNLI Water Safety aims, and achieving a major clean up.

Along with RNLI volunteers and staff, others came from Northumberland County Council, BAM UK, Lynemouth Power, Ashington Litter Pickers, Crows Nest Group, Lynemouth Community group, Newbiggin residents, Newbiggin Golf Club, Space for Shorebirds team and a team from the Mining Remediation Authority.

Over 100 bags of rubbish were removed from the beach along with numerous bulky items including wagon tyres, conveyor belting, plastic pipes and sheeting, carpets and abandoned fishing ropes and pots which equated to 1.5 tons of debris.

At the end of the clean up there were significant environmental improvements to the foreshore creating safer beach access as well as enhancing habitat for the shorebirds and entering into the spirit of the wider Great British Spring Clean.

The following is a link to a YouTube video by Northumberland County Council showing the Great British Spring Clean:

https://youtu.be/-2nRJNK7Tjc?si=Hga-fx45frhP-6a9

Not content with these successes a beach clean is planned for Newbiggin Bay on Saturday 3rd May 2025 between 10.00am and 1.00pm as part of the RNLI Mayday Mile fundraising initiative. Why not come along and join us for this special environmental stewardship event.

Notes to editors

Newbiggin RNLI is based at Sandridge, Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland. The station was established in 1851 and currently operates an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Richard Wake Burdon.

RNLI Media contacts

For more information, please telephone Richard Martin, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Newbiggin on 07980 010544 or [email protected], Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, North and East on 07824 518641 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

Newbiggin's Mayday mile event — Mayday Mile

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.

Newbiggin RNLI continues environmental support

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