The ambition of the Sea-ing Sense project was to engage people with a Visual Impairment (VI), who face barriers into accessing their coastal natural heritage by providing opportunities for them to experience and learn about the Cleveland Heritage Coast.
The project was developed and delivered by Going For Independence in partnership with the trust. They worked with VI groups of people and their carers across the Tees Valley from Darlington, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar. The programme ran over two and half years and was composed of indoor heritage workshops and field trips to four contrasting coastal environments. This was complemented by a programme of visiting speakers. A unique set of soundscapes using field recordings capturing the coastal locations with audio descriptions being created.
• The following activities were delivered:
o Five winter “Introduction to the Coast” workshops
o Ten sessions with visiting speakers
o Four spring beach workshops and field trips at Redcar
o Four summer workshops and field trip to Coatham Marsh
o Four Little Tern workshops and field trips at Seaton Carew
o Four autumn Woodland Valley and coast workshops with a visit to Saltburn
o Eleven volunteers/trainees gained training and skills in guiding people with sensory loss through bespoke training and participating in activities in nature
o The celebration event to mark the end of the project was attended by VIP participants from all the groups along with the partner staff and volunteers who had assisted with delivery.
• Coastal soundscapes were produced to capture the sense of place at Redcar, Coatham Marsh, Seaton Carew and Saltburn-by-the-Sea. You can listen to the soundscapes here.
• Two bespoke training courses for guiding people with sight loss in nature were delivered, one for GFI staff and volunteers and a second for TVWT staff and volunteers. A comprehensive training manual in sighted guiding in nature was written. This included detailed training notes to accompany course delivery, a learner’s pack and a folder for commissioning organisations with advice on how to organise a walk or activity in nature.
• A comprehensive website was created that enables the project partners to share their experiences of running activities for partially sighted and blind people with other organisations
You can find more information about the project here.
