Thanks to funding from Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund and support from the Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership (ESSCRP), a group of young people took part in an educational project.

The group from Harwich and Dovercourt took part in the Harwich Seaside Explorers organised event.

The group have been busy over winter, taking part in seaweed surveys along the coastline with the assistance of Harwich Seaside Explorers, a beach school, which helps young people understand the marine environment.

They learn about ecosystems through practical nature-based learning, and this project allowed them to travel via Great Anglia into London to visit the Natural History Museum.

They learned about what scientists do behind the scenes, including all of the research and cataloguing needed to help protect the environment.

The project was a huge success, making it possible for future behind the scenes opoportunities for young people.

“This kind of activity is incredibly valuable. It helps children learn about the environment in a meaningful and hands-on way, while building their confidence to travel by train safely and responsibly. All the children left the museum feeling inspired by what they had seen and learned, with marine biology now firmly at the top of their list of future career ambitions.

“Thanks to the support of Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund, we were able to create experiences that open up new opportunities and broaden horizons for young people.”

Jane Stewart, Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership Officer