The Coastal Communities Network (or CCN) is a coalition of community-based groups & organisations committed to the preservation and safeguarding of Scotland’s coastal and marine environments.
CCN emerged in 2017 from a partnership between the wildlife organisation Fauna & Flora and the local organisation COAST. At the time there was recognition of a need for a platform to provide opportunities for community organisations working on marine issues to access peer-to-peer support and guidance.
CCN’s mission has therefore become to connect and strengthen community-led efforts in protecting, restoring, and sustainably utilising Scotland’s coastal and marine resources. We firmly believe that power lies within local communities to drive meaningful change and make a lasting impact on the health of our coasts & seas.
Together, members of CCN address a wide range of pressing issues, including salmon farming, marine plastic pollution, and the restoration of marine habitats.
Fauna & Flora continues to provide invaluable support to individual CCN members, assisting them in establishing their operations, developing governance structures, raising independent funds, and initiating projects.
OUR VISION
Scotland’s seas are clean, healthy & abundant in biodiversity, contributing positiviely to local livelihoods, as well as the health & wellbeing of all the people of Scotland.
OUR MISSION
CCN’s mission is to connect & strengthen community-led efforts to protect, restore, and sustainably use coastal & marine resources for the benefit of nature, people, and climate.
Explore our interactive map to find out about each of the CCN members.
Follow CCN’s journey from its emergence to present day with notable successes along the way.
2016
First coastal communities gathering
First coastal communities gathering at Gartmore offers a platform for groups to share their history and aspirations for the future.
2017
The Network launches
A network of community leaders becomes the Coastal Communities Network, with 8 founding member groups.
2018
Community-led Marine Monitoring
The joint CCN, Fauna & Flora and NatureScot Community-led Marine Bioidversity Monitoring initiative launches. It aims to increase community involvement in marine data collection and monitoring
2019
UK’s first Hope Spot
The UK’s first Hope Spot was declared around the Argyll Coast and Islands on World Ocean’s Day, 8 June 2019. The Argyll Coast & Islands Hope Spot was the direct result of the efforts of four CCN groups.
2021
Third coastal communities gathering
Following a delay in 2020, the third coastal communities gathering takes place at Gartmore, where the future of CCN is discussed.
2022
Hiring of a CCN Coordinator
An outcome of the previous coastal communities gathering was for Fauna & Flora to provide full-time support to help CCN grow and realise its ambitions. The current CCN Coordinator is Sarah Doherty, who can be contacted at info@communitiesforseas.scot.
Find out more about CCN members and Friends of CCN.