This summer Go Beyond partnered with Surfers Against Sewage to give children and young people from across the UK the chance to learn more about Cornwall’s beaches and how they could help to protect them.
Surfers Against Sewage provided dedicated Ocean School sessions to children staying at our Coastal Centre. For many of the children the sessions marked their first visits to the beach.
The Ocean School sessions were designed by Surfers Against Sewage to spark an understanding and respect for the ocean that we hope will last a lifetime for the children, incorporating mindfulness, beach cleaning and discussions about the food chain.
Carl Wholey, Breaks Manager at Go Beyond, explained: “As a charity we give children and young people facing serious challenges in their lives a break away from the worries and pressures they face at home.
“Our mission is to give every young person the moments and experiences they need to believe in themselves and the beach is the perfect place to encourage their confidence with activities, games and moments of reflection.
“This summer we wanted to take that a step further and work with Surfers Against Sewage to provide the children with a dedicated Ocean School, helping them to feel more closely connected to the beach and the ways they can help to protect it in future.”
As part of the sessions the children learnt about beach habitats, explored rockpools, saw how different sorts of pollution can affect our seas and beaches and asked the ocean what it would say if it could speak.
A key aspect of Ocean School was also participating in beach cleans and learning how every action they take, no matter how small, has an impact.
Laura Macey, Education Officer at Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Ocean School is an immersive, education programme by Surfers Against Sewage, designed to provide young people with the opportunity to feel more connected to the coast, understand critical issues and know how to take action.
“It’s estimated that one in five children in the UK have never set foot on a beach (Keep Britain Tidy survey in 2018). Our aim with Ocean School is to reach some of these children and spark a connection, understanding and respect for the ocean.
“Working with Go Beyond has been an incredibly rewarding experience. We’ve had the opportunity to connect with a variety of young people across the UK from really challenging backgrounds and help them to realise that no matter who they are or where they come from, they all have the power to create real, meaningful change.
“It’s been really empowering witnessing these young people have their anxieties and fears wash away within the space of a couple of hours of being down on the coast, connecting with nature.”
Thanks for reading. Could you make a donation and give more children their first visit to the beach?
Photo credit: Keynvor Photography
