Outdoors. Beach-based. Year-round. Any weather.
Fully mobile.
Beach Academy is an Environmental Education not-for-profit organisation that encourages nature connection to the Welsh shore. We explore, restore and protect intertidal habitats and biodiversity supporting thousands of people to get outdoors, awakening their curiosity and enhancing their knowledge of the marine environment between land and sea.
The Beginning
Founding Director Emma Lamport has always had a passion for the natural world and the coastal environment and wanted others to connect with it. Back in 2013, as a ranger for the Heritage Coast, she set up a little voluntary marine wildlife club for kids called Seaside Rangers before setting up Beach Academy as a sole trader in 2017.
By the end of 2020, Beach Academy became a social enterprise. A Community Interest Company committed to connecting children and their families to the coast and blue planet through environmental and marine education programmes, coastal activity days, teacher training, courses, family events and lots lots more!
Outdoor Staff
Passion for all things marine
The Beach Academy team are all contract workers that deliver education and events programmes and projects across the UK and Europe for Beach Academy. The team develops, administrates, co-ordinates and delivers to the highest standards, with masses of engagement experience and an excellent reputation in Environmental Education and a specialisation in intertidal marine.
From left:
Emma Lamport Founder of Beach Academy PCET, PGCE, BSC(Hons) Beach School / Forest School
Alison Evans BAEd Coastal School / Forest School
Helen Andrews MSC, PHD, BSC(Hons) MsC
Members / Partners
European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA)
Outdoor Learning Wales (OLW)
NRW's Outdoor Learning Training Network (OLTN)
Institute for Outdoor Learning IOL (Affiliate member)
Vale LNP, BCBC LNP and NPT Coastal & Marine network
BAVO Green network
BDMLR Marine LIfe Rescue
Seawatch Foundation
Shop with us
As a non-profit we subsidise our work at our tiny little hub at Rest Bay Watersports Centre with a small beach shop.
Items include connecting to nature with FSC nature guides, toy marine animals, rockpooling, crabbing and beachcombing equipment like buckets, nets and crab lines. Being creative with sand buckets and colourful spades. Staying fit and healthy with beach sports like balls, cricket and kites.
You can also pop to the hub to hire litter pickers, as we are a Keep Wales Tidy hub, pay for event tickets, book classes and meet up with others.
Fill up your water bottles for free here and beach dogs and sandy feet are always welcome.