Focus on the VESTAS number 10: Keep Britain Tidy

Keep Britain Tidy is one of the first European certification agencies to join with the VESTAS and nominate their chosen members for a 2011 VESTA award

In this ninth focus on the VESTAS: Vision European Sustainable Tourism Awards Arun District Council introduces itself and its aims

The first VESTA winners will be announced at ITB Berlin in 2011 at the Responsible Tourism Networking event on Friday 11 March.

20 of the approximately 50 eligible certification agencies have now partnered with the VESTA awards.

Phil Graham of Arun District Council talks to Valere Tjolle of Vision on Sustainable Tourism:

Valere Tjolle: Could you give me the full name of your  certification and its history (when did it  start? Who are the guiding  team and what do they do?)
Phil Graham: The certification: is Blue Flag Award/Quality Coast Award and the guiding team is Keep Britain Tidy

VT: What organisations  are certified?  
PG: Arun District Council, West Sussex, England, Beach Awards

VT:  In your  view,  what has your and other certification programmes achieved so far and  what have they failed to achieve?
PG: Bognor Regis Cycle Route was created provide a  safe,  sustainable, healthy option to car travel to visit the main  Award Beach at  Bognor Regis and to promote safe cycling for children  and adults, avoiding the  busy A259

Last year we  managed to adapt our Bognor Regis promenade to  accommodate a new cycle  route and in 2011 we are in the process of  transforming our  Littlehampton promenade into a cycle which route which we  anticipate  will encourage people to cycle, keep fit and avoid   driving.

VT:  Which best practices have you  nominated for the VESTAS and why? – Sustainable Tourism
PG: The beaches in question are Littlehampton and Bognor Regis and Arun District council is the local authority who manages the beaches. Keep Britain Tidy are responsible for administering the Blue Flag Awards and Quality Coast Awards that we apply for each year and have been successful in achieving.

Our best practice is the method in   which the beach and promenades are regularly cleaned daily and the  educational  information displayed on our notice boards.

Recent initiatives include:

Community Beach Clean
This event will also help promote the Keep Britain Tidy Up initiative and provide information for community groups that would help to keep the Beach clean and tidy throughout the year.

Oyster Pond Celebration
The art installations help to raise the profile of the area and provide educational learning for visitors and locals to appreciate the history of the area and its associated wildlife.  Throughout the course of the Summer term each school has been invited to create a legend based upon the sculptures.  This piece of classroom based work will encourage children to engage with the sculptures through historical learning about the area as well as learning about the wildlife that lives on Littlehampton’s beaches.  The stories will then be collated to form an exhibition as part of the Littlehampton Folk and Roots Festival in June 2011.  A celebratory community event will be held at the Oyster Pond in June at which locals and visitors will be able to participate in activities celebrating the local coastal wildlife whilst raising the profile of the area.

Fitness Trail
Flex on the Beach is not only designed to encourage local people to enjoy some fun exercise to improve health and wellbeing, but will serve as a unique landmark to really put Bognor Regis on the map.

It’s envisaged the modern trail will boost tourism and bring more visitors in to Bognor Regis. Families can take a break from basking in the sun to try out the trail and explore all the other delights the promenade and surrounding area have to offer.

Teacher Training
Activity (Training events): Teacher Training (Art & Sculpture) using natural materials gathered from the beach. The aim I to improve tutor awareness of natural resources and local plant/wildlife species and to help develop children’s’ knowledge of the same

Active Participation – Short information talks
To improve general safety and awareness whilst at the seaside, which benefits all users of the beach including children and students.

Interpretive Signage
Bognor promenade information signboards provide a mixture of cultural, geographical and historical information along the length of the Bognor Regis promenade and offers historic information to visitors of the town.

Bognor Regis Cycle Route
To provide a safe, sustainable, healthy option to car travel to visit the main Award Beach at Bognor Regis and to promote safe cycling for children and adults, avoiding the busy A259

Last year we managed to adapt our Bognor Regis promenade to accommodate a new cycle route and in 2011 we are in the process of transforming our Littlehampton promenade into a cycle which route which we anticipate will encourage people to cycle, keep fit and avoid driving.

VT: If you had one wish – what  should  happen in 2011 to support your certification programme in  making tourism more  sustainable?
PG: Making tourism more sustainable  within our district for 2011 would  be achieved if we could identify  sponsorship  to develop our  Longest Bench in the World initiative?

The pictures  show how unique our beach is and we want Littlehampton  to have the  Longest Bench in the World, there are two phases and we are at  phase  1.

Also you can see the East Beach Cafe a stunning iconic  building.

See all the nominations HERE at VESTAS

See the

VESTA STORY

Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 latest special offer at www.travelmole.com/stories/1146423.php