Branscombe to host Big Beach Picnic
There’s nothing quite like a great British picnic by the sea. We all have fond childhood memories of days out at the seaside; that heady combination of sun, sand and sea along with a dollop of ice-cream, sandy sandwiches and hours of endless fun.
What better way to celebrate 50 years of public support for protecting our precious coastline, than by attending a Big Beach Picnic at Branscombe Beach, this is just one of 15 Big Beach Picnics taking place in the South West on Saturday 4th July 2015 [1]. The Big Beach Picnics are a key moment in our SW Coastal Festival programme, and we want as many people as possible to join in this free region wide event.
Bring along your picnic hamper for a fun afternoon on the beach and tick off some of the 50 things to do before you are 11 ¾. Make wild art, check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool, build a raft or fly our kites. Have a go at stand up paddle boarding too. Ranger Ruby Cole says ‘We have buckets and spades and nets for you to borrow, and you can have a go at catching crabs and building the tallest pebble tower.’
One of the key moments of our Big Beach Picnic will be the opportunity to join us all to ‘toast the coast’. We will supply the cups all you need to supply is the enthusiasm for our beautiful coastline and a toasting tipple. Sneakily the toasting cups are also rather suitable for collecting spare donation coins in afterwards.
So not only will you have lots of fun at Branscombe Beach Big Beach Picnic, you’ll also be helping to raise essential funds towards providing access to all, with new benches and gates along the South West Coast Path.
Bella Crawford, SW Coastal Engagement Officer said: ‘When I think of taking my family to the beach, taking a picnic along is always top of our list. Our Big Beach Picnics will be a terrific way of bringing people together on the same day at one of our coastal places for some fun but also to help us celebrate 50 years of coastline care. Our National Trust rangers will be on hand to share their love of the coast, explain what’s important about the area they care for and why we need that continued support in order to do so.
2015 is the 50th anniversary of the Neptune Coastline campaign, set up in 1965 to protect the coast from the threat of development and look after it for ever for the nation.
Over the last 50 years, public and partnership support have raised over £65 million for the campaign, enabling the National Trust to safeguard 775 miles of coastline across the England, Wales and Northern Ireland (300 miles of which are in the South West).
The coast in the South West is visited and enjoyed every year by more than 22 million people, with 63% of people regarding visiting the seaside or coast as important to their quality of life, but the future ongoing protection of these places is essential if our coast is to remain beautiful and accessible for future generations.
Events have been taking place at National Trust places across the South West all this year as part of our Coastal Festival, from mass beach cleans attended by over 400 volunteers earlier in March, to a series of coastal Bio-Blitz events and the Big Beach Picnics.
Jo Atkins, National Trust Coast Fundraising Manager said: ‘Most of the coast in our care was acquired through generous donations, gifts and legacies. It costs us £3,000 to look after each mile of coast each year - that’s a cost of £1million pounds just to manage our existing coastline in the South West and ensure safe access is maintained to beaches.
‘Coming along to one of our Big Beach Picnics is not only an opportunity for a great day out on the beach - a day for family fun - but also a day to ‘toast the coast’ and help the National Trust raise essential funds to support local projects on the South West Coast‘. If you can’t attend one of the Big Beach Picnics and would like to make donation to help look after the coast you love you can either donate online at justgiving.com/swcoast, call 0344 800 1895 or [2] Text NTCOAST to 70123 to donate £3.
For more details on where the Big Beach Picnics are taking place, how to get there and what else will be happening go to our website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/swcoast and also check out our stunning film of the South West coast for inspiration of where you can go here http://bit.ly/coastfilm
The Big Beach Picnic at Branscombe Beach is on July 4th from 12pm until 3pm. Please note the Beach car park is not NT and there will be a car park charge.
