We received the award once again after our marinas in Liverpool received top marks for high standards of environmental information, management, safety, and boating services. Our benefits from our team of local volunteers who are instrumental in helping to keep the docks well looked after and clear of litter.
Quality of the hightest standard
The water quality within the docks is of the highest standard and is home to an array of wildlife including thousands of blue mussels, hundreds of eels and, during the summer months, thousands of moon jellyfish.
Blue Flag Marina award is a world-renowned eco-award which is only awarded to marinas that boast the highest quality safety and services, environmental education and management. The prestigious award acts as a guarantee to everyone that a marina is among the finest not only in the country, but around the world.
Both of our marinas in Liverpool consist of finger and linear pontoons, with up to 60 vessels accommodated in Albert Dock and 46 visitor canal boat moorings and 20 long term moorings in Salthouse Dock.
Making a place come alive
Andrew Goudie, our harbourmaster, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this prestigious international Blue Flag award for the fourth year running and to be the first marina owners in England to receive it.
“As a charity we are very proud of our colleagues, volunteers and partners, who look after Liverpool’s South Docks to the very highest standard.
“Research has shown that being by water makes all of us feel happier and healthier, and this award helps to illustrate how a water space can make a place come alive. Be it through water-based activities, daily exercise or spending time around wildlife, there’s no better place to escape to and visit than the iconic docks.
“Our charity faces soaring costs of looking after our waterways at a time when available funding is stretched. So, it’s more important than ever that we continue to receive recognition like the Blue Flag for our work and grow support to ensure that the Trust is properly funded and supported, so we can keep our waterways alive, available and safe for the everyone to enjoy for many years to come.”
A collective effort
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “These awards are a credit to the collective efforts of beach and site managers, volunteers, residents and businesses who have worked tirelessly to maintain, protect and improve some of our best-loved and most popular blue spaces and we’d like to take this moment to recognise and applaud them.
“Visitors to a location flying a Blue Flag can be assured the area 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, marinas and inland bathing waters and, to qualify, each applicant must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria.”
The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and blue spaces and promoting the country’s best beaches.
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, marinas and inland bathing waters with water which has achieved the highest classification as set by the EU Bathing Water Directive and has an environmental education programme, while Seaside Awards are presented to the best beaches in England and celebrate the quality and diversity of our coastline.
