It has become increasingly apparent that our coastal towns and cities are lacking the support they require to thrive. Despite government promises to ‘rebuild Britain' over the past few decades, coastal economic output remains 26% below the UK average. Disparities in health outcomes, education, infrastructure, employment and climate risk continue to grow. Some disadvantaged coastal communities are disconnected from the sea and due to the lack of programmes and resources, children in these areas often do not know how to swim.

In recent years, initiatives have been introduced to boost local coastal economies, such as the £1m funding for nine UK Maritime Clusters and the Coastal Communities Fund, which invested £229m in 369 projects across the UK.