DCF members, we are pleased to announce the date and venue for the Dorset Coast Forum Conference 2026.
📅 Date: Tuesday 10 November 2026
📍 Venue: Kingston Maurward House, Dorchester
As always, the conference will provide a valuable opportunity to hear from experts, share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and build new collaborations. DCF members, please save the date and add a placeholder to your calendar.
Booking details will be shared soon.
A Coast for all – Inclusive Beach Access
DCF has joined forces with Will Behenna, founder of the Beach Access project and partner organisations (Dorset Council, National Trust Purbeck and Dorset National Landscape) to support Will’s vision of making Dorset the UK’s leading destination for inclusive access to the coast and blue spaces.
This initiative is a growing network all committed to a shared ambition; ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, health condition or background, can enjoy safe and welcoming access to the beach, sea and coastal activities.
Jurassic Coast at 25 – Stories Written in Stone
Do you know a young budding scientist, fossil hunter or a young person curious about the world around them?
Join Sam Scriven, Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Officer, for a fascinating online adventure celebrating 25 years of the Jurassic Coast.
Discover incredible fossils found at Charmouth and Swanage. Travel back in time to ancient tropical seas. Meet the creatures that once ruled the ocean. Explore the stories hidden within Dorset’s cliffs, beaches and rocks. From prehistoric predators to spectacular fossil discoveries, this engaging talk will reveal how the Jurassic Coast tells the story of 185 million years of Earth’s history along England’s only natural World Heritage Site.
This is a special event aimed at young people aged 25 or under to celebrate 25 years of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. It is brought to you in partnership with Dorset Coast Forum and the Future Coast Dorset Project. Sign up to the event via the Eventbrite below!
A simple and engaging activity created by the Future Coast Dorset team, is encouraging children and young people to talk with parents, grandparents, or other older friends, neighbours and relatives about how the local coast has changed over time and what this might mean for the future. This is a chance to learn about their local geography and history! We’re then asking young people to share coastal stories with us created through these conversations. Closing date for entries is 20 September.
Do you know someone who would love to get involved?
The summer issue of Earth Heritage Magazine is out and includes an article from Sam Scriven celebrating 25 years of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site!
Sam showcases the journey and shares his personal reflections of the world heritage site over the 25 years from it’s creation in 2001 until today!
A day at the beach should be something everyone can enjoy! People with disabilities and long-term health conditions in Dorset are set to benefit from improved access to beaches and the sea, as a new project gains momentum across the county.
A pilot scheme at Weymouth Beach has secured funding from Dorset Council’s Local Regeneration Fund and Community Infrastructure Levey, allowing partners to test what works before expanding improvements to other areas.
The project aims to remove barriers and make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to get onto the beach, move around comfortably, and even get into the water. It’s about creating a more inclusive space for residents and visitors alike and making sure nobody misses out on what makes Weymouth special.
This is a partnership project, including Weymouth Town Council, Weymouth Surf Life Saving Club, Dorset Council and the Dorset Coast Forum. It builds on feedback from disabled people and local communities, helping ensure changes are practical, safe and make a real difference.
Take a look at the video to hear more from Cllr Steve Robinson, Will Behenna, Founder of the Beach Access Project and Ben Heath, Weymouth Town Council.
With spring sunshine finally arriving and winter storms now (hopefully) behind us, we thought it was the perfect time to share a closer look at how those storms have shaped our coastline. The Dorset coast took a significant battering during the January storms, and we’ve pulled together a new page on the DCF website highlighting the key changes, unusual impacts, and stories from across our coast.
Thank you to our partners who have already contributed images, videos and local insights. If you have photographs of the beaches where you work or live that show recent storm impacts, we’d love to include them, please send them to us.
Please take a moment to explore the new page and share with your networks.
With spring sunshine finally arriving and winter storms now (hopefully) behind us, we thought it was the perfect time to share a closer look at how those storms have shaped our coastline. The Dorset coast took a significant battering during the January storms, and we’ve pulled together a new page on the DCF website highlighting the key changes, unusual impacts, and stories from across our coast.
Thank you to our partners who have already contributed images, videos and local insights. If you have photographs of the beaches where you work or live that show recent storm impacts, we’d love to include them, please send them to us.
Please take a moment to explore the new page and share with your networks.
Celebrating 25 years of the Jurassic CoastWorld Heritage Site
2026 is a landmark year for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, marking 25 years since the Dorset and East Devon Coast was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. A big thank you to Molly Webb, our volunteer, who has created a brand new webpage to showcase the events taking place throughout this anniversary year delivered by different organisations along the coast.
World Heritage Day – 18 April Celebrate World Heritage Day at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery with a full day of talks, tours, hands-on activities, and family-friendly workshops. Highlights from the programme include Sam Scriven presenting The Jurassic Coast at 25, and Steve Wallis sharing insights in The Human Story of the Jurassic Coast. Find out more and book your tickets here.
Do you have any events you would like to use to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the WHS? Contact us to let us know!
Explore UNESCO South West Trails,a new campaign and digital platform developed in partnership with Great Western Railway, has officially launched. The platform offers visitors an inspiring and sustainable way to discover the rich cultural and natural heritage of South West England, with the Dorset and East Devon Jurassic Coast showcasing as a key destination.
Meanwhile, World Heritage Officer Mhairi has been exploring options for a new official website for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The site will introduce the new Jurassic Coast Trail and an interactive map, with direct links to the Explore UNESCO South West Trails platform. Over the coming months, Mhairi will be engaging partners and stakeholders to gather input and ideas, with the new website planned for launch by the end of the year.
Following a hugelysuccessful event at Baiter Park, Poole lastyear, local Poole and Purbeck schools are once againbeing offered the chance to join us for FREE day of STEM activities (suitable for Years 5–9).
This year we will be at Shell Bay, Studland and the day is co‑hosted by the National Trust. We are joined by 12 partner organisations including Ocean Conservation Trust, Suttle Projects, RNLI and the Dorset Heaths Partnership.
Find out more and register your school’s interest!
With spring sunshine finally arriving and winter storms now (hopefully) behind us, we thought it was the perfect time to share a closer look at how those storms have shaped our coastline.
The Dorset coast took a significant battering during the January storms, and we’ve pulled together a new page on the DCF website highlighting the key changes, unusual impacts, and stories from across our coast.
Thank you to our partners who have already contributed images, videos and local insights. If you have photographs of the beaches where you work or live that show recent storm impacts, we’d love to include them, please send them to us.
Please take a moment to explore the new page, share it with your networks.
Sharing these helps us raise wider awareness of how dynamic our coastline is.
2026 is a landmark year for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, marking 25 years since the Dorset and East Devon Coast was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
A big thank you to Molly Webb, our volunteer, who has created a brand new webpage to showcase the events taking place throughout this anniversary year.
If you’re planning any activities or celebrations, big or small, we’d love to hear about them. Sharing your events helps us highlight and promote the fantastic work happening across the Jurassic Coast.
Two dates in particular we are keen for events to celebrate the Jurassic Coast are;
18th April – World Heritage Day
6th October – International Geodiversity Day
Please contact us with your events to include on the new page.
