Sea Connection for Families & Community

The environment

The project supported environmental awareness and marine stewardship through place-based learning on the coast, focusing on tidal ecology, seasonal rhythms, and responsible interaction with the shoreline. Our work was recognised as an official UNESCO Ocean Decade Activity, acknowledging its contribution to ocean literacy and coastal conservation. The opening of the FLINTS sea kiosk has increased daily presence on this stretch of coastline, enabling ongoing conversations with the council, regular informal monitoring, and practical care of the area. Operating with zero-waste principles and a mug library, the kiosk models sustainable behaviour in a public setting while reinforcing FLINTS’ wider conservation ethos and long-term guardianship of Newgate Gap.

The local economy

The project supported the local economy by employing local facilitators, sourcing materials locally where possible, and attracting participants to Cliftonville who used nearby cafes and shops.

Volunteering, jobs & education

The project expanded access to education through regular classes and events for volunteers to help with and created paid opportunities within a holistic learning model.

Arts, culture & heritage

The project supported arts and cultural heritage by combining creative practice with active coastal conservation, helping re-establish Newgate Gap as a place of learning, stewardship, and cultural exchange. While FLINTS previously engaged the public primarily through weekly beach groups and workshops, the opening of the FLINTS sea kiosk has created a more consistent, public-facing presence on the promenade. This has allowed conservation principles, marine ethnobiology, and responsible shoreline use to be shared daily with a much wider audience, including passers-by who may not actively seek out family or arts programmes. The kiosk now functions as an accessible point of contact for the wider community, fostering conversation, awareness, and care for the coastline, while supporting FLINTS’ cyclical social enterprise model that sustains arts and education delivery. Alongside this, the Intertidal Thread, a six-week adult-only workshop curated by Newton See as part of her artistic practice, contributed to contemporary coastal culture through art, research, and embodied learning at the water’s edge. Demand for this programme has increased following the opening of the kiosk, highlighting growing public interest in arts-led conservation and adult coastal education, which FLINTS aims to continue to develop.

Activity, health and leisure

The project promoted gentle physical activity, outdoor play, and wellbeing through regular, accessible sessions by the sea for children and adults.