The Jurassic Coast Trust is leading a partnership with members of World Heritage UK to influence and shape changes to make all visitors feel welcome when visiting Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites.
There are 32 World Heritage Sites in the UK, all with individual characteristics and with rich stories to tell. Every Site aims to engage the public with its heritage and for everyone to understand its importance and significance, but it is recognised that there are barriers which may prevent under-represented citizens being able to enjoy these places and ultimately make them feel excluded.
The Jurassic Coast Trust will work nationally, alongside other World Heritage Sites, Geoparks and organisations who look after natural landscapes, to pull together experiences and case studies which can be shared to positively influence delivery of engagement and future visitor experiences.
Lucy Culkin, CEO of The Jurassic Coast Trust advises: “We are committed to doing better and addressing the needs of under-represented visitors to the Jurassic Coast. We will work both nationally and locally to learn from others and shape the future of our engagement for an improved visitor experience of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site.”
This work starts with lots of talking! JCT intend to learn from partners who ‘live’ the visitor experience on the Coast, in addition to communities and businesses who contribute to the World Heritage story. The Jurassic Coast Trust will be gathering the views of visitors themselves and digitally targeting those considering visiting to better understand their needs.
Caroline Pearce, Partnerships and Engagement Manager at JCT says: “This is an exciting opportunity to challenge our existing practices and learn from others. We recognise the wealth of experience out there and look forward to making visits to the Coast more accessible for all.”
If anyone would like to contribute to this work, please contact Caroline Pearce on [email protected]
