Coasts for Kids in the running for LCR Culture and Creativity Award

Sefton Coasts for Kids – an initiative to inspire the next generation of learners to protect the world’s coastlines – has been shortlisted for a Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Award. 

The initiative, developed in partnership between Edge Hill University, Sefton Council and Southport Eco Visitor Centre, includes a series of short, educational videos to teach primary school children about the vital role that coasts play in our ecosystem. 

Due to the success of the project, it is running for an impact award for environmental sustainability. 

Professor Irene Delgado-Fernandez, lead researcher on the Coasts for Kids project and a coastal geomorphologist and marine geoscientist, said: “The Coasts for Kids project started as a relatively small initiative, but its reach has been fantastic. A primary aspect for us was that everyone would enjoy and get something out of it. The children were brilliant, definitely the stars of the show. 

“Each video was created during a global pandemic and lockdown in England. This involved additional time and effort from everyone, but we never lost perspective of where we wanted to go and how we wanted to enjoy the experience and educate our future generations. 

“Getting shortlisted for the Environmental Sustainability category is way beyond our expectations. We’re so proud.” 

Darren Lloyd, resident teacher and education projects co-ordinator at Southport’s Eco Centre, said: “We wanted to equip our young people with the skills and confidence to become educators in their own right. The Coast for Kids series is a fantastic tool to allow both teachers and parents to nurture this. As ambassadors for the future, it is paramount that they understand the impact, both negative and positive, we can have on our environment. 

“To be shortlisted for this award is a real honour and shows the power of partnership working, both internally and externally, to support the fantastic eco efforts of our young people across Sefton.” 

Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards are judged by an independent panel made up of the Liverpool Cultural Partnership together with representatives from the creative and cultural sector. The winners will be announced in March. 

For anyone interested in finding out more about the nominated project, head over to the Coasts for Kids website. Videos can also be found on its YouTube channel. 

As a university committed to leading the way as an eco-friendly institution, Edge Hill is committed to protecting the environment and becoming more sustainably driven. 

Through the work of SustainNET – a network community of individuals at Edge Hill who are passionate about sustainability – the group is working hard to advance the sustainability agenda both on campus and across the North West region within the fields of research, education, student engagement and local community partnerships. To find out more about this work you can visit the SustainNET pages.