Community & Wellbeing

For generations our coastal villages, towns and cities have fed the nation, been a source of job creation and trade, now more than ever, host millions of us each year who escape to the seaside to soak up the benefits of being on the coast.

Through Community & Wellbeing we want to highlight these benefits, whether that be through sport and recreation or mental and physical health, and champion the opportunities for those who want to learn more about our ocean. We believe the ocean should be accessible for all.

However, we also recognise the strain many small coastal communities are under, often with poor access to services and transport, loss of skilled jobs and dwindling permanent populations due to the hollowing out by short term lets and second homes.

We want this theme to be a space where, through dialogue and debate, balance can be found making coastal communities sustainable but also allowing all who want to access the ocean the ability to discover new ways of doing so.