Schools Go Underwater
Sussex Underwater and Strandliners are joining forces in a new partnership project, Sussex Coast Explorers, which will support young people in Hastings and St Leonards to connect with the sea and marine life and care for their local coastline.
Conducting beach litter surveys with Strandliners
The two organisations have been awarded a grant from the High Weald National Landscape Partnership to deliver a series of funded, beach-based learning sessions for Year 5 pupils from local schools. The project combines hands-on coastal exploration with inspiring underwater storytelling and citizen science, offering children a unique learning experience rooted in Sussex’s coastline.
Sussex Underwater uses underwater filming to give children a window beneath the waves and shares positive local stories that show how individuals and communities can make a real difference for the ocean. The organisation is well known for its BBC documentary Our Lives: Our Sea Forest and its contribution to Sir David Attenborough’s recent book Ocean.
Strandliners complements this with nationally recognised expertise in coastal debris, environmental monitoring, and citizen science. It has been heavily involved in responding to major pollution incidents affecting the Sussex coastline, including the recent bio-beads and container spills. Their involvement will support children to understand human impacts on the shoreline and how evidence and data can drive positive change.
Together, the partnership offers guided beach sessions where children will explore rockpools and marine habitats, investigate coastal debris, and learn about local wildlife, pollution and practical action. Thanks to the High Weald National Landscape Partnership, transport, materials, and delivery costs for these beach sessions are fully funded, ensuring the project is accessible to schools that may otherwise be unable to take part.
However, the grant funding does not cover the essential in-school preparation sessions. These classroom visits are a crucial part of the project, helping to build trust, provide context, and prepare children before visiting the coast. It is also where Sussex Underwater shares underwater footage of marine creatures living in Sussex seas, allowing children to connect with their local marine environment before exploring it in person.
Sussex Underwater and Strandliners are therefore appealing to the local community to help raise an additional £1,000 to fund these in-school sessions and ensure Sussex Coast Explorers can be delivered in the most meaningful and inclusive way.
Schools in Hastings and St Leonards are invited to register their interest in taking part. Due to funding limitations, priority will be given to schools where access to coastal learning opportunities may otherwise be limited. Expressions of Interest from schools across Sussex are also welcomed, helping demonstrate demand and support future funding applications.
Donations can
be made to Sussex Underwater and Strandliners via a GoFundMe campaign: gofund.me/0786a8642. Expression of Interest form: forms.gle/9gfYSxqs3ZMSZ8ft7
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