Community

Friends of Brierdene Celebrate Green Flag Award and 20 Years of Volunteering

The volunteers who have quietly transformed the Brierdene wildlife site near Whitley Bay seafront have won a Green Flag Community Award, arriving in the group's 20th year.

Whitleybay.live·22 July 2026

Tucked into the northern edge of Whitley Bay, a short walk from the seafront, the Brierdene is easy to miss if you do not know it is there. This small coastal dene, threaded by a burn running down to the sea, has become one of the most biodiverse corners of the town. That is no accident. For 20 years a dedicated group of volunteers has been quietly reshaping the space, and their work has now been recognised with a Green Flag Community Award.

Two decades of quiet transformation

The Friends of Brierdene began their conservation work back in October 2006. Since then they have turned a neglected patch of ground into a genuine wildlife site, with woodland, ponds and a wildflower meadow that together support well over a thousand recorded species. The Green Flag Community Award, run by Keep Britain Tidy, is the mark of a well-managed green space that meets the same standard as much larger parks. Landing it in the group's 20th year makes the timing especially fitting.

It is not the group's first recognition either. In 2020 the Friends of Brierdene received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour a volunteer group can be given.

Steve Stone, a founder member and the group's biodiversity and volunteer coordinator, said the group was delighted with the award and grateful to a "fantastic group of volunteers" who have improved biodiversity across the Brierdene over the past two decades. You can read more in the Northumberland Gazette's report.

Part of a wider Green Flag year for North Tyneside

The Brierdene award comes as North Tyneside enjoys a strong year for its green spaces. The borough picked up eight Green Flags in 2026, covering Benton Quarry Park, Killingworth Lakeside Park, Northumberland Park, Preston Cemetery, Rising Sun Country Park, Wallsend Parks, Chirton and Redburn Dene, and Whitley Bay Cemetery, which earned the flag for the first time. Full details are on the North Tyneside Council website.

Getting involved

The best part of a community award is that anyone can join in. The Friends of Brierdene hold conservation sessions on site every Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to noon, throughout the year, and newcomers are welcome. It is an easy, sociable way to spend a morning outdoors and see two decades of volunteering up close.

Know a local group worth celebrating? Get in touch.