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.
The Great Gale 1824 Exhibition – See on the ITV Evening News this Friday!
The Great Gale will feature on ITV West Country and Meridian evening news 6pm this Friday 22nd November – the 200th anniversary of The Great Gale to the day!
DCF in collaboration with the Environment Agency and BCP Council bring together a free exhibition that explores the impacts the Great Gale of 1824. It features stories and accounts, delving into the reasons behind the storm and how we can predict and prepare for possible similar future events. The exhibition has been touring the Dorset coast and will end in Portland on 22-24th November, with B-Side hosting further events from 21-24 November The Great Gale – B-Side Arts Festival
DCF (with the help of Dorset Council GIS team) have created a new interactive map to support and align with the Dorset Coast Strategy objectives #EnjoyTheCoast #RespectTheCoast #CoastalInnovation #CoastalConnection and #Coastal Recovery. It is a resource for DCF members and the wider public to find information about our coast, currently including coastal designations, blue flag beaches, NCI lookout stations and RNLI lifeguarded beaches. We would like to hear your views on new layers that would be useful to you.
You can find it on the Dorset Coast Strategy page on our website or on Dorset Explorer by changing version in the title bar to Dorset Coast Strategy.
DCF Conference 2024That’s a wrap for another year!
We would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who joined us – it was a great success with 120 of our members in attendance. The theme this year was Coastal Change and the line up included 12 inspirational presentations, a facilitated workshop, and 9 information stands, many of which offered examples of interactive ways to engage with communities. A big thank you to all our speakers for their engaging presentations, the information stands, our hosts at Weymouth Pavilion, and also our sponsors: Moffatt & Nichol, WSP and ARC Marine.
Feedback from the conference has been very positive – see highlights below. For more details of the conference, including presentation slides, please see the DCF Conference 2024 webpage. If you have ideas for next year’s, please get in touch. >> DCF Conference 2024
The Great Gale 1824 – Free public exhibition commemorating the great storm of Dorset.
On the night of 22nd November 1824 a storm of unprecedented ferocity hit the Dorset coast, flooding many houses, destroying villages in its path and claimed many lives during the two days that it besieged the coast.
Now, 200 years on, Dorset Coast Forum in collaboration with the Environment Agency and BCP council bring together a free public exhibition that explores the impacts The Great Gale of 1824 left on the Dorset Coast.
For all the dates and locations across Dorset visit
⏰ When: Registration from 9.00am, presentations will start at 9.30am and finish by 4.30pm.
We’ve had a fantastic response to our conference bookings – tickets are now fully booked and the Eventbrite booking page is closed!
If you wanted to join us and haven’t yet booked your ticket yet, please contact us and we will add your details to a cancellation list.
Agenda Highlights:
We are delighted to announce our keynote speaker is Chris Hines MBE. Chris has been working and campaigning for the environment for over 30 years and revels in inspiring positive change. Co-founder and then Director of Surfers Against Sewage from 1990 till 2000, Chris now aims to deliver positive change through motivational talks and delivering initiatives that implement positive environmental solutions. Find out more about Chris’s work at www.agos.co
Current challenges for the Dorset Coast: We will also delve into the pressing issues affecting our coastline with presentations covering:
What are the current challenges for coastal change in Dorset – including climate change, changes in policy and designations, Dave Picksley, Environment Agency.
What do the Shoreline Management Plans envisage the Dorset coast looking like in the Future? Alan Frampton, South West Flood & Coastal
South West Coast Path – Keeping an open path, Julian Gray, South West Coast Path Association.
Positive Actions: A deep dive into key areas where proactive measures are addressing these challenges in:
Coastal heritage at risk – challenges and looking to the past for opportunities, Anthony Firth, Historic England.
Sustaining our beaches – A new approach, Dr Matthew Wadey, South West Flood & Coastal.
Coasts in Mind – Empowering communities by putting their knowledge at the forefront of coastal planning, Caroline Barrie-Smith, Museum of London Archaeology.
As always there will also be lots of networking opportunities with over a 100 DCF members attending, all with knowledge and expertise of Dorset’s coast.
Interactive Information Stands
In addition to the full day’s agenda of inspirational presentations and engaging workshop, there will be information stands from our sponsors and partners. Information stands this year will showcase innovative engagement tools (including DCF’s new wave tank) designed to engage coastal communities, research and technologies.
A buffet will be available at lunchtime and drinks included in your ticket price.
Your name, job title and organisation will be listed on the conference delegate list to be displayed at the conference and on our website unless you did not consent to this when booking.
If you have any specific dietary or access requirements that we should be aware of, please contact us at dorset.coast@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Early sign up is recommended as places are limited to 120.
When: Thursday 24th October, registration from 9.00am, presentations will start at 9.30am and finish by 4.30pm.
Bulk or Invoice Ticket Purchase
For bulk ticket purchase or if you need an invoice for your purchase, please do not purchase your tickets via the Eventbrite link. Please email us directly at dorset.coast@dorsetcouncil.gov.ukto book your tickets and request an invoice.
Refund Policy
Refunds for cancellations will only be issued up to midnight on 14th October (less a £4 ticketing fee).
If someone can attend in your place, named substitutes are permitted with notice by Monday 21st October to dorset.coast@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.
By Bus – Buses stop at the King’s Statue on the Esplanade which is a 3-4 minute walk to the Pavilion. Here is a list of buses stopping at the King’s Statue – First Bus Timetable
Accommodation – there is a huge choice of hotels in Weymouth, here are a few recommended hotels:
Hotel REX – 4 min walk to Pavilion/ 12 min walk to station
The Royal Hotel – 10 min walk to Pavilion/ 4 min walk to station
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DCF News
Calling DCF members – Register now for the DCF Conference 2024! Join us on Thursday 24th October at the Ocean Room, Weymouth Pavilion the for a day of insightful speakers, networking, and collaboration. This year we explore the theme of Dorset’s changing coast and its impacts on our communities, economies, and the environment. In addition to the full day’s agenda of inspirational presentations and an engaging workshop, there will be information stands from our sponsors and partners. Information stands will showcase innovative engagement tools designed to engage coastal communities, research and technologies.
Dan testing our new wave tank, built by and big thanks to Weymouth Men’s Shed.
Next step – build the model flood defence structures! Watch this space ………
Future Studland Plan – survey now live!
After speaking to residents at our engagement events in early July, the Future Studland survey is now available for everyone to join the conservation! Whether you are a local resident, a visitor or someone who holds Studland close to your heart, this is an opportunity to shape the future of this beloved area. The insights gathered will shape the stewardship of Studland’s natural beauty and accessibility as part of a 20-50 year plan. Go to the project website to take part in the survey!
Studland Bay Marine Partnership The partnership are extremely encouraged that the boating season has started with a significant use of the eco-moorings available. Thank you to all boaters who are supporting marine conservation at Studland by adhering to the Voluntary No Anchor Zone. A range of permanent signage will be installed this month at local marinas and public boat launch sites to spread the word on how to enjoy Studland and protect the seagrass in Dorset’s largest seagrass meadow. Just a reminder to all that to enable the partnership to maintain and redeploy the eco-moorings each year, we ask boaters to pay to moor. Find out more at Pay to Moor and Donate to project. See also the project website for a list of events coming up over the next few months!
Following recent in person and online CTAP community events, led by Sara Parker in DCF and supported by Ross Fitzgerald Associate Director of Geomorphology at Jacobs, the project team are now working on short listing options for the Outline Business Case (OBC) informed by community feedback. We currently have a live survey asking people to rate the options. For more information and to sign up for updates, see our project page.
As part of engagement a survey (closed 31st July) asked the Charmouth community for their views on shortlisted options for the Outline Business Case (OBC) which will outline a plan on how the CTAP project in Charmouth will be delivered. These options have been developed from community and stakeholder input provided at recent engagement events. See project page for more information or to sign up for updates.
Left: Sara with Flooding Swanage with art artists, Andy Knill and Tom Phillips
We are delighted to announce that our community art project Flooding Swanage with Art come second with a Highly Commended in the community category of the EA’s Excellence Awards – Flood & Coast2024 ! Thank you to everyone who participated and well-done to Sara, the amazing artists and the Swanage community! You can view our submission on our DCF YouTube channel or here. Concept design proposals were shared at the recent Swanage Town Council Coastal Change & Beach Management Advisory Committee explaining scheme options and a potential final Preferred Option. Sara will be updating the project page with the latest developments and opportunities to engage with the Project Team. In July, the Environment Agency met with key stakeholders in the Lower High Street area to discuss proposals to change the configuration of the temporary wave barriers. For updates see our project page.
