Sussex Coast Explorers is a new coastal education project for Year 5 pupils in Hastings and St Leonards, delivered in partnership by Sussex Underwater and Strandliners.

Thanks to funding from the High Weald National Landscape Partnership, we are able to deliver fully funded, hands-on beach learning sessions that help children explore rockpools, discover marine life, and understand how people can care for their local coastline.

Why we’re fundraising

While the grant funding covers transport, equipment, and the beach-based sessions themselves, it does not cover the essential in-school preparation sessions.

We are raising £1,000 specifically so we can go into schools before the beach visits to deliver these unfunded classroom sessions.

These sessions are a vital part of the project. They provide the groundwork that makes the beach experience meaningful, inclusive, and successful.

Why the in-school sessions matter

The classroom sessions are where we:

Introduce the project and set expectations

Build trust and excitement with the children

Help them feel confident and prepared before visiting the beach

Connect them emotionally to the coast and marine life

This is also where Sussex Underwater shares underwater footage of marine creatures living in Sussex seas, giving children a rare chance to see beneath the surface of their local coastline and understand that the ocean is alive, nearby, and worth caring for.

Without this preparation, the beach sessions lose much of their impact.

About the project

During the beach sessions, children will:

Explore rockpools and coastal habitats

Learn about local wildlife and human impacts on the shoreline

Take part in citizen science and coastal debris monitoring

Discover positive, hopeful stories about how individuals and communities can make a difference

Sussex Underwater brings underwater filming, freediving experience, and conservation storytelling. Strandliners brings expertise in coastal debris, environmental monitoring, and citizen science. Together, we offer a place-based learning experience rooted in Sussex’s coastline.

Transparency and use of funds

£1,000 will fund the in-school sessions required to deliver Sussex Coast Explorers properly.

If we raise more than £1,000, any additional funds will go directly towards further in-school coastal education sessions across Sussex.

We are committed to transparency and will share updates on where and how any additional funds are spent.

How you can help

By supporting this fundraiser, you’re helping ensure that local children don’t just visit the coast, they understand it, feel connected to it, and feel empowered to care for it.

Every donation helps us lay the foundations for meaningful learning and lasting connection with Sussex’s marine environment.

Thank you for supporting Sussex Coast Explorers