Sea Connection for Families & Community

Funded on
31 Mar 2025

FLINTS project space and beach group offers nature-based learning & support for children, caregivers and adults through sea-based activities, environmental stewardship, and creative coastal workshops.

£43,620 Raised of £42,992

77 Backers

101%

Costs

Project Delivery Running Costs (ie operations, training, staffing, marketing) £7,740
39 x Coastal Connection adult workshops x 2 Facilitators £7,020
39 x Children and Caregiver Sessions x 2 Facilitators £7,020
Utilities £4,836
Donation of 378hrs Volunteered time £4,536
Donation of 1/2 price project space hire reduction £2,100
1/2 price project space hire £2,100
Donation of Waived £30 Weekly storage use x 43 £1,290
Weekly Session Costs £15 per session x 78 £1,170
Donation of Waived 78 x £10 Beach shelter equipment use £780
Other + £1,300

IT Costs £576

Promotional Printing Costs £374

Donation of updated beach tools £350
Target: (inc. fees) £42,992

http://www.flints.earth

In 2022 Newgate Gap CIC was awarded a startup grant by The Emergence Foundation to trial FLINTS Coastal Permaculture as an accessible community project that promotes pride of place for our unique chalk reef coastline. Since 2022, through fundraising events and donations, we have been able to provide free and pay what you can regular beach sessions and workshops on the Newgate Gap beach for adults as well as children and their caregivers.

Our offerings weave holistic learning with family support, somatic grounding and wellbeing techniques, seasonal songs, coastal folklore, natural material crafts, marine ecology and guardianship as well as foraged food knowledge.

In 2025, FLINTS was endorsed as an official Ocean Decade activity aligned with UNESCO Ocean Decade challenges, recognising our contribution to marine stewardship, cultural heritage and community led ocean advocacy.

Newgate Gap CIC and FLINTS have also been awarded both the Margate Mayor’s Grant, a Highly Commended Certificate for the 2024 Kent Mental Wellbeing Award, and in 2025 a Community Champions Certificate recognising both Newton See and FLINTS for outstanding contribution to the local community and coastal guardianship.

As part of our commitment to being volunteer guardians of Newgate Gap and the local environment, we uphold regular beach cleans, including jet washing down the causeway and promenade and monthly cleaning of graffiti.

We also encourage our participants and local organisations to engage with the shared beaches for local residents and visitors in Cliftonville in a more sustainable and environmentally aware way. This means promoting leave no trace practices, discouraging the use of plastics, sound disruptions for wildlife and bringing awareness to the hazards that discarded disposable barbecues and buried hot coals can become through signage and direct engagement. We often work with the council to report issues with marine life or hazards and request additional bins, recycling options and street cleaning services during the warmer months.

Project Owner: FLINTS Coastal Permaculture The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.