This group was founded in 2008 and it all came about because of anti-social behaviour in the area, and continual speeding. There’s a big hump in the promenade which is actually part of the sea defences – it stops overtopping in the parking area from spilling any further. But the boy-racers have always seen it as a challenge! Ironically, this is a problem we still haven’t solved, all these years and a lot of trying later.

Rossall Beach was also quite neglected back then. Look at the state of the litter bins and the few benches were old and dilapidated. There weren’t any handrails on steps to the beach, no dropped kerbs and pavements were wonky paving flags! Who knew it would lead to all this!

Anti-social behaviour brought the Rossall Beach Group together. The first project we instigated was the building of the planter at the end of Thornton Gate. It’s purpose was a traffic calming measure, to slow down boy-racers as they speed along the prom.

In 2010 we were getting into our stride!

This is the year when Birse Coastal (later to become Balfour Beatty) donated our notice boards so we could share our activities. With a shortage of benches, the concrete units leftover from the Cleveleys sea wall scheme were recycled into seats.

2010 was the year we first entered the Neighbourhood Award of Cleveleys In Bloom. And we had a lot of fun raising funds at table top sales, held on the promenade.

In 2011 we secured CCTV coverage for Rossall Promenade, in order to reduce the anti-social behaviour which brought about the creation of our group in the first place!

Some years later, we also secured grant funding to replace the camera with a newer model, which is connected to the main CCTV control room.

This was the year we successfully secured registered charity status.

The Beach Buddies were also winners of Wyre Tourism Association Tourism in the Community Award 2012.

And this is the year when we raised funds to provide some new benches on the promenade. They’re still well used even now.

2013 is the year when we designed and put together our Rossall Beach Buddies Roadshow, with the help of then Patron Dr Robert Keirle. We still regularly deliver it to schools, groups and the community, sharing the knowledge we’ve gained.

It’s also the year when we did a community craft event. Plastics were collected from the beach, washed and cleaned. At community sessions, and with the help of local school children, they were used to make some quite artistic pictures from rubbish.

In 2014 Rossall Beach Residents & Community Group was delighted to be presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. It’s the equivalent of an MBE for a group of people.

Originally there weren’t any dropped kerbs along the full seaward side of the road at Rossall Promenade. One of our disabled members took up this challenge, and dropped kerbs were subsequently installed during this year.

Campaigning to prevent people from leaving their dogs excrement on the footpaths and beach is a never ending task! In 2015, our primary school helpers designed messages for new signage for the sea wall.

It was also the year when the group went on visits to the sea defence works, both at Anchorsholme and Rossall.

During 2016 we collected beach plastics in a special crate, provided and collected by specialist recycling company Terracycle. Our waste was used to prototype and produce the first Head and Shoulders shampoo bottles – made using recycled beach plastics.

Making Rossall Beach better for everyone is also an aim of our group and so in this year we also provided a Public Access External Defibrillator.

And, excitingly, we were also lucky enough to be able to organise an official flypast from the world famous Red Arrows! It’s a shame it was an unbelievably windy day!

Believe it or not, some people think it’s OK to take big quantities of pebbles from the beach, to use in their home and garden designs. But the pebbles are very important as a natural sea defence. They do a fabulous job in reducing the energy of waves and preventing flooding.

So in 2017 the Beach Buddies ran a campaign to explain why it’s not OK to take pebbles off the beach. We secured extensive media coverage, even showcasing our lovely beach on BBC Northwest Tonight.

The Beach Buddies had created the first set of information boards at Rossall Beach early on in the life of the group. In 2018 we secured funding to design and create a further five boards, explaining even more about the environment and how people can help to look after it.

In Spring our friends at The Venue hosted our Recruitment Morning, where we invited new people to come and find out more.

During their closed season, we also took a winter-time trip to Fleetwood Museum too. An interesting look into the history and heritage of the area – topped off with tea and cake! (Of course!)

2019 was another busy year – with lots going on!

It’s the year when the Rossall Beach Group began working with Wyre Council as consultees to the proposed Wyre Beach Management Scheme.

We developed our mini-roadshow to take to beach cleans and events at the seafront.

New volunteers took control of the planter, bringing it back into shape and making it part of the Cleveleys In Bloom entry once again.

And it’s also the year when beach cleaners were nominated as heroes in The Blackpool Towers 125 year awards celebrations. Trustees Brenda and Liz went to collect our certificate.

Well, what can we say about 2020, except Covid-19! Most of our activities during this year ground to a shuddering halt, as restrictions were put on everyday life.

We did manage to get a couple of events in before lockdowns began in March, and a Roadshow visit to Manor Beach School.

2021 was still badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic but the summer, at least, was slightly more normal!

We managed to take part in the Marine Conservation Society Big Beach Clean in September – which was fortunate as it also coincided with a pollution incident.

Volunteers were able to clean up far more waste than usual, as you can see with all these bags!

Finally! Covid-19 lockdowns came to an end (fingers crossed!) in Spring 2022 and the Rossall Beach Group slowly started coming back to life.

Meetings are back, but with a new format, complete with tea and biscuits! Expect to hear from a variety of interesting, different speakers and have a good old natter.

Our founding Secretary David Hewitt (centre) decided to leave us after the AGM in July. Dave has been a big help in everything that the Rossall Beach Group has done and it wouldn’t have been what it is without him.

Liz Sperling (second left) has now stepped into the role.

You’ve loved being able to get outdoors and back to beach cleaning too – loads of you have come along to help out. Expect to take part in new beach explorer activities soon, with new Trustee and PhD student, Joseph Earl.

In 2023 the Rossall Beach Group carried on litter picking and looking after the marine environment at Rossall Beach.

Beach Works

With the Wyre Beach Management Scheme taking place on the beach, the groups activities were limited to these core activities. Health and Safety is important and those trucks are too big to argue with!

In the early months of the year the Phase 1 toe protection work was completed. From summer onwards Phase 2 began which will see construction of a groyne field. This protects the beach between the Shipwreck Memorial at Kingsway and the recently completed Rossall Coastal Defence Scheme at Westway.

For a few months, the Rossall Promenade parking area was closed while a new short-wall was installed against the old recurve wall. During this time our muster point moved to The Venue car park, thanks to our friends there.

Working Together

We’ve had some fascinating and well-attended meetings during 2023. During the year Care for Cleveleys was incorporated into the Meet and Brew and we began working more closely with Cleveleys Beach Cleaners. All three groups have the same aim – to keep the town and it’s beaches clean.

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