Portland and Wyke Regis communities and stakeholders are invited to engagement events to help with the development of the new Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Strategy for the area from Portland Underhill to Wyke Regis.
As part of the current engagement round, the Dorset Coast Forum will be hosting two in-person drop-in events and an online presentation, where the baseline understanding and findings will be presented, and members of the project team will be available to answer questions. The team are keen to hear from you on whether you agree with the baseline findings and have any suggestions for how the coastal risks can be managed.
The engagement event details are below:
In-person drop-in event: Wednesday 19th March, anytime between 2:30pm – 5:30pm – Portland Community Venue, Three Yards Close, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1JN.
In-person drop-in event: Tuesday 25th March, anytime between 2:30 – 7pm – Wyke Regis Working Men’s Club, 56 Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9AB.
Online survey: to share your feedback with the project team. Take survey here
Further information and online survey: Further information including draft baseline reports that provide in-depth detail about the work to date are available on the project website, along with an online survey where you can provide feedback.
We are thrilled to announce the start of the DCF 30 year anniversary celebrations. This milestone marks three decades of achievements made possible through our partnership with you, our members.
Nominate your coastal champion! To kick off our celebrations, we invite you to nominate individuals for our ‘Coastal Life Stories’ exhibition. This exhibition will highlight the diverse and inspiring stories of our Dorset coastal communities, showcasing the lives of those who live and work along the coast, as well as raising awareness of challenges that coastal communities face. We are looking for nominations of coastal champions from all ages, backgrounds, and sectors. These champions will be featured in the Coastal Life Stories exhibition, which will be displayed at various coastal events and locations throughout the year, finishing in our 30-year celebration at the DCF conference in November. The deadline for nominations is Friday 4 April 2025. Remembering DCF achievements We also want to hear your thoughts and memories of DCF’s achievements over the years. Whether it’s a project, an engagement event, a conference, or a workshop, we would love to include your highlights as part of our celebrations. Throughout this year, we will keep you updated on our anniversary celebrations through DCF eNews, emails, and social media. Stay tuned for more details on how you can get involved!
Dorset Coast Forum has this month welcomed Sam Scriven, Principal Officer – World Heritage to the team. Sam, originally from Jurassic Coast Trust, will be helping Dorset Council and Devon County Council to carry on the work to conserve and manage the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Both Councils are keen to speak to Jurassic Coast stakeholders and communities in the coming months about the future direction of the work, so look out for news about opportunities to have your say. In the meantime, for advice about the World Heritage Site you can contact Sam at sam.scriven@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and 01305 224739.
The Great Gale exhibition continues
There is still time to catch the Great Gale Exhibition at Swanage Information Centre, which is on display from Tuesday 11th to Wednesday 19th March. We are excited to announce the exhibition moves to another new home and will be on display at the Wild Chesil Centre, Portland from Friday 21st March through to Sunday 6th April, open seven days a week.
Poole and Purbeck schools are being asked to help celebrate upcoming Outdoor Classroom Day on 22 May. Suitable for Y5-13 the day will offer FREE fun STEM based activities encouraging learning outdoors. This is being led by DCF and colleagues from partner organisations including Ocean Conservation Trust, South West Flood & Coastal and Andrew Simpson Centres – with more to come! Find out more and register your schools interest on Outdoor Classroom Day page.
Main image: DCF team member Ziggy the Collie, winter walking at the Fleet, Chesil Beach (Credit Sara Parker)
DCF News Summary
Celebrating 30 Years of DCF in 2025! This year marks a significant milestone for DCF as we celebrate our 30th anniversary. Over the past three decades, DCF has achieved remarkable success, thanks to the continued support of our partners, collaborators, and coastal communities. To commemorate this journey, we have exciting celebration plans in store. Stay tuned for updates in the coming months!
The Great Gale exhibition is back for 2025! After the success of the touring exhibition across the Dorset coast last autumn, the exhibition will be on display from Monday 27 January at Swanage Tourist Information Centre until mid-March. The exhibition delves into the history of the hurricane-force storm that devastated the Dorset Coast in 1824, explores the lasting impacts and how to prepare and predict for a similar event should that ever happen again. More dates and venues for 2025 will be announced shortly!
Youth Engagement Sara enjoyed a brilliant evening with Portland Youth Council as a guest of Island Community Action. They discussed local flood and coastal erosion projects, resilience to climate change and listening to the youth council’s own ideas on how best DCF and partners can connect with and imbed the ideas, suggestions, and solutions of young people in our project communities. Following the launch of DCF’s Education Hub we hope to increase opportunities for young people to have their say.
Outdoor Classroom Day, Atlantic Academy Portland Sara and Nikki visited Atlantic Academy, Portland this month to run coastal management sessions with Year 6 and Year 11 students. Activities included using our wave tank providing an immersive experience of how different coastal defences can help to protect our coastal communities. See the flood tank in action on our Outdoor Classroom Day page.
Thanks to the film made by The Crown Estate and Wonderroom Productions, the work of the Studland Bay Marine Partnership has been highlighted as part of their Sea, Land & City film series. Eco-moorings have been installed at Studland Bay by the SBMP which help protect seagrass habitats and create a sustainable way for the boating community to enjoy the beauty of this magnificent bay.
Come and join our fantastic small team! We are looking for someone who is passionate about coastal and marine matters, with exceptional project coordination skills? If this you, we have an exciting opportunity for you!
Position: Dorset Coast Forum Project Officer
Location: Dorchester and home working
Role: Engaging with coastal stakeholders and communities along the Dorset coast.
Position: Dorset Coast Forum Project Officer
Location: Dorchester and home working
Closing date: Wednesday 8 January 2025
Find out more and apply here