rce north east project

Dove Marine Laboratory
School of Marine Science and Technology
Newcastle university
Cullercoats
NE30 4PZ

Dr Jane Delany, Mrs Susan Gebbels
j.e.delany @ ncl.ac.uk

Cullercoats Primary School; Cullercoats Watch house Club; Dove Marine Laboratory

1. The Project will promote sustainability of natural resources (coastal habitats), and by engaging a cross-section of the local community in collating information on and taking pride in the environment around them. It will promote sustainability of maritime heritage as partners collate and archive historical information and disseminate their findings more widely for others to access.

2. The Project fulfils RCE activity by collaboration between a HE institution, a local school and a community group.

3. The Project explores ways in which communities can embrace their own natural and cultural heritage and contribute to further interpretation and dissemination of their findings.

4. The participating school children and the Watch House Tower group are benefiting educationally from liaison with Dove Marine Lab staff and associated experts.

Information is being collected about the history of the village, including its importance as a fishing port, the salt trade, the coal pits, the close association with the sea (e.g. the lifeboat), the lives of the fishing families, the Laboratory as a leading center for the work of famous naturalists, Cullercoats as a thriving colony of artists and the influence of Quakers and Methodists in shaping the community. Information has been derived from a range of different sources, including library archives, old photographs, and interviews with older residents, school and church records, and associations such as the Coble and Keelboat Society, Cullercoats Lifeboat Station, library of the Dove Marine Laboratory etc. Complementary information will be collected about Cullercoats today, and the contributions of schools, church groups and others to the social and cultural life of Tyneside.

Information will be collected about the richness of local marine life and geology, and the relationship of the people of Cullercoats with the sea. It will involve a series of marine ecology and geology surveys by the School Club and gathering information about issues such as wrecks, tales of the sea, smugglers, famous rescues, the fishing industry and the focus of the marine environment for art, music and literature. The School Club will use the Watch House and the Dove Marine Laboratory as meeting places and bases for its survey work. Materials collected in the project will be archived at Cullercoats Primary School.

Wider dissemination of information on the local natural and maritime heritage.
Greater appreciation of, and engagement with local environments.
Raised aspirations in young school pupils interacting with University staff.

• Two high-quality, well-illustrated guides are being produced. One will be on Cullercoats village and the other on our maritime heritage. The emphasis in both cases will be on producing information that is scientifically and historically accurate but consider aspects through the eyes of young people. The guides will be especially suitable for family groups, whereby people of all ages (e.g. children, parents and grandparents) can share their knowledge of Cullercoats, its heritage and its aspirations for the future.

• There has been an open day/exhibition in Cullercoats Primary School’s hall. This included displays of old photographs, drawings, documents, paintings, poetry, traditional items of clothing and artifacts from the fishing and coal mining industries, as well as information about modern Cullercoats.

• Coffee mornings are held in the Watch House with displays depicting Cullercoats in the past and today.

• There is a twice yearly Newsletter produced by children of Cullercoats Primary School which will be distributed to the local community.

• Information will be posted on the Watch House Website (www.cullercoatswatchhouse.co.uk).

The project will target the whole of the Cullercoats community of approximately 2000 people. Visitors from other parts of the region and tourists will also benefit.

The Dove Marine Laboratory
rce north east

This project is due to complete in April 2009 and has been incredibly successful.