There is an exciting opportunity to join the Dorset Coast Forum team as a World Heritage Officer. This new post will be contributing to the protection and promotion of one of the UK’s most iconic natural assets – the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
We are delighted to announce ‘Discovery Fest’ – as part of Dorset Coast Forum’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations, we are joining up with Planet Purbeck to present this joint vibrant, family-friendly festival by the sea.
👉 FREE family fun day
👉 Explore Dorset’s stunning coastline, wildlife, and natural landscapes
👉 Over 30 exciting activities and exhibitors
Guided Walks & Experiences
Swanage Old & New Guided Walk
🕚 11am & 2pm, 1-mile walk
Discover Swanage through the ages on a gentle, family-friendly walk led by Steve Wallis, Dorset Council’s Archaeologist. Uncover hidden historical features and stories that bring the town’s rich past to life.
Step back in time and walk where dinosaurs once roamed! Led by Sam Scriven, Principal Officer and Geologist for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, this family-friendly outdoor adventure explores the famous Spyway Dinosaur Footprints.
Explore one of the most geologically rich and visually stunning stretches of the Jurassic Coast. Led by Sam Scriven, this tour brings Dorset’s ancient landscapes to life through expert storytelling.
We are delighted to announce ‘Discovery Fest’ – as part of Dorset Coast Forum’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations, we are joining up with Planet Purbeck to present this joint vibrant, family-friendly festival by the sea.
We invite DCF members to take part and join us with your Gazebo or Tabletop Information Stand – bring an interactive activity, walk or talk to inspire and engage visitors of all ages! This is a chance for you to showcase your project, community group or initiative, connect with the public, and celebrate our incredible Dorset coastline.
To secure your place, for more information or to chat through your activity ideas, please contactNikki and Izzy at:
Celebrating Coastal Lives – Thank You for Your Nominations!
A huge thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination for a Coastal Champion as part of our 30-year celebrations! Your incredible support is helping to bring to life the Coastal Life Stories exhibition, which will showcase the inspiring and diverse stories of people who live and work along Dorset’s beautiful coastline.
We received a fantastic response and are thrilled to announce we have 18 amazing Coastal Champions who will feature in the exhibition. Over the coming weeks, our team will be meeting with each champion to capture their stories and portraits, which will form the travelling photographic exhibition planned later this year.
Stay tuned for updates and get ready to be inspired by the lives shaped by our coast!
In May, Dorset Coast Forum facilitated a workshop for Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site stakeholders, to gather their views about the future of the Site. Over sixty people attended and work in groups to discuss six key themes – Coastal Management, Tourism, Fossil Collecting, Community Engagement, Fossil Collections Management, and Education. The atmosphere was positive and constructive, and a wealth of ideas and insights were collected by the facilitators.
A particularly positive aspect of the day was that attendees represented a true cross-section of the various interests along the World Heritage Site, from Landowners and Museums, to tourism experts, fossil collectors, academics, parish councillors and staff from the national teams of Natural England and Historic England. Dorset Council, Devon County Council and the World Heritage Site Principal Officer are in the process of compiling the notes gathered at the workshop and will be sharing their findings soon. This was just the first step in planning for a new model of management for the Jurassic Coast.
We’re excited to welcome Matthew Smith, who joined the DCF team at the end of March. With a BSc in Geography and an MSc in Glaciology, Matt brings a strong academic foundation and over 13 years of experience in the field studies sector, primarily across Dorset and the Southwest. Matt’s deep knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural environment make him a valuable addition to the team. Outside of work, he’s an avid rock climber and trail runner—pursuits that reflect his adventurous spirit and passion for the outdoors.
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 valued partnerships. As part of our celebrations, we aim to showcase these accomplishments and honour those who have played, and those who presently play, an active role in bringing wider benefits to the Dorset Coast. From policy makers to beach cleaners, fishers to lifeguards, and conservationists to swimmers, each one is a champion of our coast.
Nominate your coastal champion!
To kick off the celebrations, we invite you to nominate your coastal champion – someone who lives or works along the Dorset coast, from all ages, backgrounds, and sectors. We would love to hear the story of this person, their work or passion for the coast, whilst raising awareness of challenges that coastal communities face.
Successful nominations will be featured in our ‘Coastal Life Stories’ exhibition, highlighting the diverse and inspiring stories of our Dorset coastal communities. The Coastal Life Stories exhibition will be displayed at various coastal events and locations throughout the year, finishing in our 30-year celebration at the DCF conference in November.
Contact us with your nomination and a short paragraph of why you think this person is a coastal champion and should be part of the Coastal Life Stories exhibition.
The deadline for nominations has been extended to Tuesday 22 April 2025
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.
