Current Projects

Regional Coastal Coordination

Regional coastal coordination is at the core of what we do and our work has been strongly focused on this over recent years due to the advent of the Championing Coastal Coordination (3Cs) fund which enabled us to undertake new research and activity to support this concept.

For the 21-22 and 22-23 financial years the North West Coastal Forum worked with the Coastal Partnerships Network to explore the benefits of regional coastal coordination and what a regional coastal hub might look like as part of the national ‘Coastal Partnerships Network: A National Framework Championing Coastal Coordination’ project funded through the Championing Coastal Coordination fund*. We are continuing to work with CPN on regional coordination, receiving funding directly from 3Cs in 2024-25 and again via CPN in 2025-26.

In 2023 we undertook a range of activities to further develop the regional hub for coastal coordination in North West England. The work, Development of the regional hub for coastal coordination in North West England built on the work undertaken in Phase 1, namely exploring the value of regional coastal coordination which took place in the 21-22 financial year (see below).

The core focus of work undertaken between January to March 2023, was to aid the development of the regional hub for the North West, bring together a range of initiatives looking at coastal habitat restoration to provide a basis for moving forward together and to ensure that the NWCF is in a position to employ a regional coordinator for the hub going forwards, is in a position to seek other sources of funding and has a business plan in place for the next 2 years. We also participated in national work on the NFCC Leadership Group, the framework development and transboundary coordination work.

Key outputs include establishing the NWCF as a charity, holding a workshop to develop stronger regional coordination of and explore issues and opportunities around delivering coastal habitat creation and restoration in NW England, working with the Coastal Group to hold a regional conference on climate change adaptation and running the North West Awards for Coastal Excellence. 

In 2022 we led a Regional Demonstration Project to explore the benefits of a regional approach to coastal coordination in North West England. This was one of a series of Regional Demonstration Projects taking place across England as part of the ‘A National Framework Championing Coastal Coordination’ project led by Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN) and supported by the Championing Coastal Coordination (3Cs) fund*.

Regional Coastal Habitats Working Group

As a result of 3Cs work and workshops at the 2025 regional coastal habitats conference a Regional Coastal Habitats Working Group has been created. The Coastal Group’s Protected Sites Group merged with it in early 25-26 and the group now meets regularly. The NWCF created the group and provides the secretariat for it. Funding to support our time input has been received via the Green Community Grants Programme (for 25-26) and Our Future Coast (26-27) and the Green Community Grants Programme is also supporting delivery of a face to face habitats conference later in 2026 (watch this space!).

This project is made possible thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, awarded by Postcode Green Trust. The Green Community Grants Programme is administered by the Wildlife Trusts on behalf of the Postcode Lottery and the Postcode Green Trust.

Working with the North West’s Coastal Groups

We currently sit on the North West and North Wales Coastal Group, the Liverpool Bay Coastal Sub-group and the Northern Coastal Sub-group. We have historically strong links with the coastal groups, assisting with stakeholder engagement and the development of a Communications and Engagement Strategy for the Shoreline Management Plan, and providing secretariat for Liverpool Bay Coastal Sub-group for over 10 years. In July 2013 we helped to organise the inaugural annual conference of the North West and North Wales Coastal Group: North West and North Wales Coastal Management 2013 and in 2023 we worked with the North West & North Wales Coastal Group and its flagship project Our Future Coast to deliver a major regional conference: Climate Change on the North West Coast exploring the challenges facing the North West’s coastal communities and working with nature to adapt to coastal change. The conference took place in Grange over Sands on 29th and 30th March 2023 and featured, as well as the launch of Our Future Coast, the announcement of the winners of NW ACE 2023. It was attended by 125 delegates from across the North West and beyond and feedback received so far has been excellent. Our input to the conference organisation and NWACE was again funded through Championing Coastal Coordination funding and is part of the current 3Cs project work being undertaken by NWCF within the region. 

Our Future Coast

We have recently received funding from Our Future Coast to undertake a range of activity particularly focused around coastal habitat work and including stakeholder research, during the 26-27 financial year. 

Coastal Partnerships Network

NWCF also actively supports the work of the Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN) – a national grouping of over 50 local coastal partnerships.

The Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN) is a registered charity that exists to encourage the exchange of information and debate and increase collaboration between Coastal Estuary and Marine Partnerships around the English coast. CPN aims to establish links with other coastal stakeholders, to facilitate a more joined up approach to the management of coastal areas and to represent Coastal Partnership interests at national and European levels. We have been actively engaged with CPN since its inception, on the Steering Group and now as a formal member of the charity. We are working with CPN on development of the Coastal Collaboration Hub and on a system of monitoring and evaluation for CEMPs to assist them in their development and to demonstrate their value nationally.

See www.coastalpartnershipsnetwork.org.uk for more information.

Local Coastal Partnerships

The North West Coastal Forum works with coastal partnerships around the North West; currently Solway Firth Partnership and Morecambe Bay Partnership are members of our Expert Advisory Committee. 

North West Awards for Coastal Excellence

In 2010 the North West Coastal Forum established a new biennial award scheme: NW ACE. The scheme is designed to recognise achievement of individuals, community groups and organisations, both commercial and public sector in contributing to the delivery of a more sustainable coast in North West England. There are 3 categories: Coastal Champion open to individuals; Coastal Community Action open to voluntary groups; and Coastal Best Practice open to commercial and public sector organisations for particular projects.

The awards will be run again during the 26-27 financial year.

2025 Winners

The winners of the 2025 Awards were announced at the conference: ‘Coastal Habitat Restoration and Creation in North West England 2025’ which took place on 6^th & 7^th March 2025,  Carlisle. The 2025 NWACE were funded through the Championing Coastal Coordination (3Cs) initiative, which is led by the Environment Agency with support from Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation and the Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. 

≈ Coastal Champion (Early Careers):  Shovi Anjum

≈ Coastal Champion (Lifetime Achievement):  Susannah Bleakley

≈ Coastal Best Practice: Seagrass restoration parts of the Morecambe Bay Seascape Restoration Project

A pdf with more details about the 2025 winners can be downloaded here:

2023 Winners

The winners of the 2023 Awards were announced at the conference: ‘Climate Change on the NW Coast: Challenges facing coastal communities and working with nature to adapt to coastal change’ which took place on 29^th & 30^th March 2023,  Grange-over-Sands. The 2023 NWACE were funded through the Championing Coastal Coordination (3Cs) initiative, which is led by the Environment Agency with support from Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation and the Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. 

≈ Coastal Community Action:  Tideliners – a litter picking community group focusing on the Keer Estuary, Morecambe Bay (Warton/Carnforth area).

≈ Coastal Best Practice: Fylde Sand Dunes Project –  A partnership project between the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Blackpool and Fylde Councils working together to future-proof the dune system and community to widen the dunes seawards up to their natural limit to provide a sustainable sea defence, create a diverse and resilient ecosystem and contribute towards a climate resilient coast.

A pdf with more details about the 2023 winners can be downloaded here:

2016 Winners 

The 2016 award winners have been announced and were presented at the October 2016 Sandscapes: Celebrating the Natural and Cultural Capital of Coastal Landscapes conference in Southport by Dave McAleavy, Chair of the North West Coastal Forum. The 2016 winners were:

≈    Coastal Champion: Andy Shore, FCRM Senior Advisor (Coast), Environment Agency

≈    Coastal Community Action: Morecambe Bay Partnership’s Cultural Heritage Volunteers

≈    Coastal Best Practice – Education and Skills: Sefton Council’s Natural Alternatives Team for the Crosby Nature Trail

≈    Coastal Best Practice – Culture and Heritage: Sefton Coast Landscape Partnership for ‘The Flock’

≈    Coastal Best Practice – Integrated Coastal Management:Morecambe Bay Partnership

≈    Coastal Best Practice – Leisure and Tourism: Shore Cottage Studio

For more information on the winners and why they won follow this link or download the presentation below:

2014 Winners

The 2014 award winners have been announced and were presented at the November 2014 Destination Coast! conference in Grange-over-Sands by CEO of British Destinations, Peter Hampson. To see who won what and why follow this link  or download the report below:

2012 Winners

Details about the 2012 awards are given below:

The 2012 awards were announced at the ‘Delivering Sustainable Coasts’ conference in Southport on 18 & 19 September 2012 and were presented by Professor Annie Worsley, Chair of the North West Coastal Forum.

The winners were:

 

 

 

 

 

Carl Green (Coastal Champion – Professional)

Keith Budden (Coastal Champion – Volunteer)

Morecambe Bay BeachCare Group (Joint winner – Coastal Community

Action)

Solway Coast Community Volunteer Group (Joint winner –  Coastal Community Action)

Sefton Council (Coastal Best Practice)

A summary of the award winners is available:

The full NW ACE 2012 presentation can be downloaded below:

The 2010 awards were presented by the North West Coastal Forum Chairman, Graham Lymbery, during the 2010 Regional Coastal Conference at t

he Maritime Museum, Liverpool in December. The winners were:

• Ian Rowlands (Coastal Champion);
• Wyre Borough Council and Birse Coastal (Coastal Best Practice)
• Friends of the Estuary (Lytham) (Coastal Community Action).

Details of the 2010 winning and highly commended entries are in the document below:

Irish Sea Maritime Forum

The North West Coastal Forum has been promoting working at Irish Sea level with partners such as Liverpool University for many years. In 2011 we assisted with delivery of 2 stakeholder workshops exploring transboundary planning issues across the Irish Sea and provided the secretariat (jointly with Liverpool University) until 2018.  We remain involved with ISMF as a member of its Steering Group. For more information see the project page link on the left or www.irishseamaritimeforum.org