The Jurassic Coast is the independent charity responsible for protecting and conserving the UNESCO World Heritage status of the Jurassic Coast, a stretch of coastline that spans the counties of Dorset and Devon on the south coast of England.
We engage with stakeholders along 95 miles of coastline to preserve the Jurassic Coast’s unique geology, palaeontology and geomorphology ensuring its future for generations to come.
The Jurassic Coast is England’s only natural World Heritage Site and was granted World Heritage status in 2001 for its unique geology, geomorphology and palaeontology. The Jurassic Coast is the only place on Earth where rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods can be seen in one place, where people can explore 185 million years of Earth’s history.
Today, the Jurassic Coast aims to protect and conserve the World Heritage Site, to provide education, engagement and sustainability to enhance the sites attributes, and to invite people to enjoy all that the Jurassic Coast has to offer.
About the Jurassic Coast:
Our vision for this extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS), the Jurassic Coast, is that everyone loves, understands and values it. We believe that this is the very best way in which the Jurassic Coast will be effectively looked after – by the people who live, play, work here – today and for future generations.
Our Aims:
- To protect and enhance the World Heritage Site and its setting
- To engage with people and organisations
- To deepen our own and others’ understanding of the World Heritage Site
- To sustain our organisation financially and demonstrate exemplary governance
Our Work:
We provide leadership on what is best for the World Heritage Site (WHS) and we actively foster the partnerships and engagement that collectively protect the site.
We promote the Site’s identity and values and seek to understand and build the benefits (environmental, economic, scientific, cultural and social) of World Heritage status. Our role is then to enhance and share these benefits widely, at a local, national and international level.
We run a range of programmes and activities, encompassing conservation, engagement and partnership facilitation.
We raise funding through a range of ways, including grants, trading and individual donations, as well as our growing Business Partner scheme which we use to fund our wide-ranging work, examples of which includes:
- Monitoring and oversight of Site Conservation, including involvement in planning policy and control and working with a range of partners on conservation activity
- Developing and monitoring policy in relation to the WHS, alongside and in close collaboration with our partners
- Supporting our partners work in relation to responsible fossil collecting and the display and interpretation of fossils and the Jurassic Coast’s wider story in local museums and visitor centres
- Developing resources to enable the meaningful interpretation of the Site
- Publishing a range of valued and high quality books and publications that are the definitive guides to the Jurassic Coast
- Running a website that aspires to be a hub for information about the WHS, supported by our active social media presence and enabling relevant data sharing by partners
- Promoting a dynamic programme of walks, talks and outreach, delivered by our team of Ambassadors and other volunteers
- Organising a range of events, designed to raise funds and foster enjoyment of the Site, including museum sleepovers, guided walks and online talks
- Growing an active membership base, including young people, that develops our committed giving income but also fosters deeper relationships between individuals and families and the Jurassic Coast
This list isn’t exhaustive
Our Team
Our staff work from our base near Dorchester, Dorset and remotely across the Jurassic Coast. We also have a brilliant cohort of volunteer Ambassadors who are based across the coast and are critical in helping us deliver our educational and community engagement work. You can find details of our staff team and Trustees here.
Funding
The Jurassic Coast receives some core funding from Local Authorities and Government Agencies, with the remainder of our income coming from funding for particular work programmes and our commercial activity via our website.
We are differentiated from our two counties’ recognised DMOs (Destination Management Organisations) by virtue of our World Heritage perspective, which not only crosses two county boundaries but is globally viewed as an international asset to treasure, protect and enjoy, and our work stems directly from this point of view.
In 2022, we created a trading company, Jurassic Coast Trading Co, and use this income to directly support the protection and conservation work of the charitable, and raise the importance of sustainable tourism along the Jurassic Coast.
