WATCH: New art project encourages children to become 'future guardians' of Lincolnshire beach
A new project aimed at boosting positivity and care for the coast has launched in Chapel St Leonards.
The ‘Love Our Beach’ campaign saw primary school pupils take to the beach on July 20 to create a giant heart in the sand.
The initiative is being run by Happy Chappy Beach Buddy – which organises local events to support children and provides disability beach wheelchairs – along with local artist, photographer and author Steve Gould.
A spokesperson for the project said: “Children from Chapel St Leonards Primary School came together on the beach for a very special community morning, meeting representatives from local organisations and agencies who joined us to support the launch of the Love Our Beach project.
“One of the highlights was bringing everyone together to create a giant human heart on the beach - a simple but powerful image representing our shared love for the coastline and the community around it.
"There was a wonderful atmosphere, with the children really embracing the occasion and helping us kickstart what we hope will become a much wider project encouraging young people to think about caring for their beach, protecting the environment and taking pride in the place they call home. Afterwards, the children enjoyed drinks and a selection of treats and nibbles, very kindly donated by members and businesses within the local community. That generosity really added to the day and demonstrated exactly what this project is about, people coming together and doing something positive for their community.”
Throughout the coming months, children will become the “future guardians” of their coastline through a wide range of creative and environmental activities. These will include storytelling sessions of Steve Gould’s ‘Kitty Krew’ books, art workshops, community painting projects, recycled art, beach activities, litter awareness and more.
In a joint statement, Steve Gould and the team behind Happy Chappy Beach Buddy added: “The children are the future guardians of our coastline. We want them to feel that this is their beach, their community and their responsibility. Through creativity, art, storytelling and community projects, we hope to inspire lasting pride that will continue for many years.”