Sunderland Coastwatch was opened on the 15th October 2005 by the Deputy Mayor and Mr Tony Ellis of HM Coastguard.
The coastwatch is affiliated to the National Coastwatch Institute. The Watchkeepers are the eyes and ears along the coast, keeping a visual watch, monitoring radio channels, using radar and providing a listening watch in poor visibility.

Watchkeepers remain vigilant at all times. Surveillance work is mainly routine but watchkeepers are trained to act in an emergency, report to the MCA and if required co-ordinate with the search and rescue services.

A log of all water-based activities is kept during each watch, and if required weather conditions can be passed to yachtsmen and fishermen before they set to sea, hopefully reducing the need for MCA response and RNLI call-outs.

Also during each watch other activities such as canoeing, diving etc are closely observed, as are bathers, walkers and climbers who walk our shoreline. When on watch watchkeepers provide a vital link with all the emergency services and can provide an emergency contact point on land for both sea and shore users.