
Holderness residents are being asked to take part in two events hosted by the University of Hull to have their say about the pressures and problems of life near the coast.
The free Coastal Communities workshop takes place from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday, October 15, at Hornsea Museum.
It will provide a space for people to discuss and explore the unique challenges and opportunities facing coastal communities. University of Hull researchers will support the session as part of
the Coast-R Network – a new national network, working to understand and provide a blueprint for action on issues facing the UK coast.
Dr Kate Smith, a researcher at the University of Hull who is working closely with the Coast-R Network team, will be part of the team running the event.
She said: “We hope people will come along to this workshop and bring their unique perspectives.
“The Coast-R Network has been funded by the UK Government, which will be listening closely to our reports, so it’s really important to us that the views of people living and working in the East Yorkshire coast are included. They also offer a fun way to connect with other residents – and we’ll even provide the biscuits!”
The university is also hosting the official launch of the Coast-R Network at Middleton Hall in Hull on November 6. The event includes speakers from the National Trust, the Crown Estate and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS).
The University of Hull is the lead organisation in the Coast-R Network – a partnership including universities in Aberystwyth, Glasgow, Leeds,
Liverpool and Southampton and a diverse range of organisations with an interest in coastal resilience. They will come together on November 6 to discuss the key issues, but the Coast-R Network wants to make sure that the community voice is central to these discussions.
The university’s Prof Briony McDonagh, who is leading the Coast-R Network, said: “We know that coastal communities are living with social and health inequalities, rising sea levels and coastal erosion, to name but a few challenges.
“Yet current models of coastal management sometimes fall badly short, ignoring local needs and experiences of coastal change.
“We want to make sure that those most impacted by climate change have a key voice in the decision-making process.
“Our Hornsea workshop is the first step in involving local people in future plans for coastal resilience.”
To find out more about the Coast-R Network, including its events programme, visit ukcoastalresilience.org/events.