Education and volunteering

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Education programmes

If you're a teacher looking to take your students' education outside, or if you're a business interested in employer-supported volunteering, perhaps for World Oceans Day, Whitstable Harbour could be the answer.

Canterbury City Council's Harbour and Foreshore Services team works with schools, companies and volunteer groups to promote and deliver hands-on education sessions at the harbour on a range of environmental topics, coastal habitats, marine conservation and water safety topics.

With over 15 years' experience, our programmes offer young people the opportunity to experience and explore the coast and marine environment. The project brings young people to the coast and provides a unique outdoor learning experience. 

The Harbour and Foreshore Services team is responsible for the management and delivery of a wide variety of coastal facilities and assets along the district's coastline. As part of this responsibility, the team is keen to promote various environmental and education activities linked to our coast, the outdoors as well as the wider environment in general.

Our programmes explore all aspects of the coastal environment, from intertidal ecology to renewable energy (offshore wind power), coastal threats and highlights the importance of personal responsibility. Sessions can be tailored to term-time topics and delivered in a location that provides all the appropriate field trip amenities. 

Staff are on hand to help with the organisation and planning of such field study events, looking at tidal conditions and forecasts, right through to determining the best location for a visiting group needs, eg close access to facilities.  

The services are designed to illustrate how important it is to protect our marine and coastal habitats by delivering interactive hands-on activities and sessions on coastal habitats, conservation and renewable energy. We believe it is vital that the next generation understands the importance of these natural assets and resources, how they can be used effectively and how they can be protected and conserved for the future.

Contact whitstable.harbour@canterbury.gov.uk 

Beach cleans and litter picks

Various local community groups organise monthly public beach clean ups year-round along the coast. New participants are always welcomed and community groups can be found via social media. (Whitstable Marine Environment Group, Friends of Tankerton Bay and the Bay Beach Clean)

The council is committed to supporting volunteers who want to take action against local litter. As such, the authority has an online registration system to register your interest. Simply complete the online form in advance of any proposed date, and an office will be in touch to arrange the use and collection of all the litter-picking kit.

To report a litter issue online via the authorities Environmental Problems pages; just follow the hyperlink provided.

Whitstable RNLI

If you've ever wanted to have a closer look at an operational lifeboat, Whitstable RNLI boathouse also offers school tours and safety sessions around the boathouse. 

Whitstable Lifeboat Station welcomes visitors, both as part of pre-booked groups and also those who just happen to be passing and call in.  

Organised visits can be for pre-schools, schools, youth groups or adult groups and will include teaching about beach / sea safety, why there is a lifeboat station here and who we mainly rescue, as well as the operation of our lifeboat, which is founded on the key principles of volunteering and completely charitable funding.  

Passers-by are welcome to visit our lifeboat via the shop when it is open, usually Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm, and from Easter to Christmas.    

We can also arrange for an RNLI presenter to come out and give talks to groups.

To inquire about making an organised visit to the station or to have someone come out to speak to your group please email:  whitstable@rnli.org.uk

To find out more or to book a station visit, you can contact the team by emailing whitstable@rnli.org.uk