Coasts in Mind is exploring coastal change through the lives and memories of the diverse communities around Poole Harbour’s shores and rivers. Hazel and Oliver are excited to share the project with DHC readers in this blog, and to offer training opportunities for young people and youth groups!
Coasts in Mind has three main aims…
Develop employability skills and experience in local young people aged 16 to 25.
As the Poole Harbour landscape continues to evolve, it is younger generations who will be navigating those changes. We are seeking partnerships with youth groups who may not usually have access to heritage-based opportunities. Working with these groups, we will deliver funded workshops themed around coastal change (an upcoming one will be here with Dorset History Centre – read on!).
Empower new audiences to engage with heritage.
Marginalised communities may face challenges when engaging with local history and heritage, and we are keen to creatively explore coastal change to work through these barriers. If you identify with this, or are part of a charity, organisation, or group local to Poole who would like to be involved then please get in touch.
Showcase local knowledge about coastal change.
We are preserving the experiences of people who have witnessed coastal change around the harbour. The stories, oral history interviews, donated photos, and more are curated on our community archive. This platform will be used by local policymakers to compliment the scientific approach to coastal change. If you have a memory to share, please get in touch with the team.
With thanks to Poole Museum archives, and Matthews & Kentish families for these photos.
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The Coasts in Mind team are excited to host a fully funded training workshop with Dorset History Centre in February 2026 to explore the archive of material relating to Poole. This opportunity is available to youth groups (ages 16-25) with connections to the harbour (Purbeck, Wareham, Holton Heath, Lychett Minster, Hamworthy, Turlin Moor, Upton, Poole, and so on). While not at all necessary, this workshop will be particularly enjoyed by young people interested in Geography, (Social) History, Heritage, Museums, or the Environment. We are particularly welcoming participants who are not in education or employment, or who wish to gain new skills, improve their CV, and meet new people.
Please get in touch with Oliver and Hazel if you would like to find out more or secure spaces for your group. Reach Hazel at hcrabb@MOLA.org.uk, and Oliver at ohutchinson@MOLA.org.uk.
Coasts in Mind is a three-year Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Lloyds Register Foundation.