Amidst a climate of budget-cutting, COAST has bucked the trend by securing funding for an island marine project officer over the next three years.  COAST received the funding in late March, following a significant grant by the Esmée Fairburn Foundation.

The money will enable COAST to undertake its operations more strategically and set in train a range of activities, such as local education events, scientific monitoring of the island’s coast and community conservation work.

‘One of the key responsibilities of the project officer will be to engage with the young people of Arran,’ explained COAST’s chairman Howard Wood. ‘The future of Scotland’s marine resource is in their hands. This money will help COAST to promote a wider appreciation and responsible stewardship of our coastal waters, thereby safeguarding its economic, social and environmental value for generations to come.’

COAST’s vice-chair Sally Campbell: ‘This is a genuinely exciting moment for COAST and the island. By having a project officer dedicated to local education, environmental monitoring and wider advocacy, we are putting Arran on the map as a leader in community-driven coastal management. It is an essential step to making COAST’s activities sustainable for the long-term.’ 

The money will be granted to COAST over three years and follows previous grant assistance by the Esmée Fairburn Foundation in the formative years of COAST.