Welcome to the Somerset School Coastal Champions
Turn your school into a Coastal Champion! Work together and make positive changes that have big benefits for local nature, waterways and coastal environments.
Litter Free Coast and Sea Somerset and Somerset Wildlife Trust’s “Somerset’s Wilder Coast Project” are working in partnership (with support from Carymoor Environmental Trust) to offer the Somerset School Coastal Champions Award.
Through this exciting award, we work closely with schools and other youth organisations, sharing messages and actions about protecting ocean wildlife, ensuring clean bathing water and reducing marine litter through environmental education programmes.
There are lots of reasons for you to get involved! Through the Coastal Champions Award, you’ll find out why cleaner beaches and seas and thriving coastal ecosystems are important to local communities, clubs and schools in Somerset!
• Sometimes environmental issues and their long-term impact can be hard to see.
• We know that what we throw away, flush down the toilet and pour down our sinks can block drains and sewers allowing litter and sewage to enter the sea after heavy rainfall, reducing the cleanliness of our coastal waters and impacting water quality.
• BUT by working together, we can all make a positive difference to the natural environment that surrounds us and supports us!
Find out more about how you can get your school involved in the Somerset School Coastal Championships below!
How does the scheme work?
The three levels of the award are Ripple, Roller and Crest. Each level of the scheme should take about one school term to complete.
The actions are all quite straightforward (and the school may have already completed some of the actions points). By following the steps outlined on your personal action plan , you will receive accreditation to the Somerset School Coastal Champions league which includes certificates of achievement, window stickers, and promotion of your school’s efforts online, on social media and at events.
How To Get Involved
We’d love to have you on board! To find out more and register to be involved, contact us at: litterfreesomerset@gmail.com.
- Sign Up To Become A Somerset Coastal Champion And Commit To The Core Principles: We’ll send you the Action Plan so that you can have a read through and start thinking about the areas of your school that you need to focus on.
- Identify Fellow Coastal Champions and Pick Your A Team: Hint…try to include a wide range of players in your team including teachers, school managers, PTA members, pupils and TAs.
- Set To Work: It’s time for some investigation – what does your school already do to protect the coastal environment and where could it do better?
- Its Action Time: Find your allies within the school, and work out how to achieve all of the different challenges on your action plans. Set yourself a timeline so that you have milestones to work towards (hint…try to achieve one level per term).
- Actions speak louder than words: Lead by example and celebrate what you are achieving within your community. Share your stories within the school, friends, families. Pass the baton and inspire other schools to get involved by sharing the changes that you have made. Tweet your success stories using the hashtag #SomersetCoastalChampions
Your Schools Portal: Dropbox
Dropbox is your school’s portal to upload evidence for completed actions for each level of the award, and to see suggestions for what evidence you can use.
TOP TIPS
Carymoor Environmental Trust is an environmental education charity based near Castle Cary in South Somerset. Carymoor inspires and enables people to live more sustainably by providing environmental education to school children, adults and families from a unique nature reserve created on 80 acres of capped landfill. www.carymoor.org.uk
Education at Carymoor
Carymoor offers a range of environmental learning days from its unique nature reserve near Castle Cary. Days include Wild Days Out, hands-on history, and a Day at the Dump to explore a working waste site. Bring green issues to life at Carymoor!
School Trips and Education | Carymoor Environmental Trust
Schools Against Waste
Carymoor works with Somerset Waste Partnership to provide the Schools Against Waste project that helps to raise awareness amongst children and staff, encouraging everyone to practise the 3Rs – ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. Somerset primary schools can take advantage of a FREE virtual or physical visit which normally comprises of an assembly and 2 workshops. For more information visit: Schools against Waste (carymoor.org.uk)
Geckoella can offer trips to the Somerset Coast to explore the local geology (inc. fossil hunting) and also ecology (rock pool safaris) which they can tailor to the school’s needs. They usually charge for school visits & trips. Contact them to find out more.
Website: https://www.geckoella.co.uk/
A European Blue School recognizes the importance of the ocean in its education activities by taking up the Find the Blue challenge. By bringing real-life marine and maritime contexts to the classroom, students are encouraged to become responsible and engaged ocean literate citizens.
If you’re looking for an extra challenge, build on your Coastal Champions work and sign up to become a Blue School! Find out more here.
 | Dunster First School Levels Completed: Ripple, Roller & Crest |
 | Eastover Primary School Levels Completed: Ripple, Roller & Crest |
 | East Brent C of E Academy Levels Completed: Ripple Current Level: Roller |
| Northgate Primary School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Pawlett Primary School Current Level: Ripple | |
| East Huntspill Primary School Current Level: Ripple | |
| West Huntspill Primary School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Otterhampton Primary School Current Level: Ripple | |
| St Peter’s C of E First School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Timberscombe Church of England First School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Lympsham Church of England VC First School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Old Cleeve C of E First School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Mark Church of England VC First School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Minehead First School Current Level: Ripple | |
| The Knights Templar School Current Level: Ripple | |
| St Andrew’s C of E Junior School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Berrow C of E Primary School Current Level: Ripple | |
| Shipham C of E First School Current Level: Ripple | |
| St Michael’s C of E First School Current Level: Ripple |
PHOTO GALLERY
Eastover Primary School – Ripple Award
Dunster First School – Ripple Award
Funders & partners
