Into the Blue!

Into The Blue: Coastal Wellbeing and Water Safety for Ilfracombe’s Young People

Back in late 2024 Ilfracombe Futures discussed creating a much needed sense of belonging and ownership for our young people in the town where they live and will grow up in. This in turn led to Charmain Lovett and Neil Ingram from One Ilfracombe formulating a plan that would not only make use of local facilities but also safely introduce this group to a brand new free playground on their doorstep with the potential for growth and development that this afforded.

From here “Into the Blue” was born.

After 5 months of planning, chasing funding and overcoming logistical barriers One Ilfracombe announced the launch of this innovative school-based wellbeing and water safety project, which has seen over 190 pupils from Ilfracombe Junior School dive into six weeks of enriching, waterborne activity at the Ilfracombe Watersports Hub – all FREE of charge.

Delivered in partnership with Ilfracombe Junior School, Ilfracombe RNLI, and a team of local outdoor activity providers, the project has brought Year 5 and 6 students into direct, safe contact with the sea to help develop confidence, physical and mental wellbeing, and vital water safety skills.

Running from 22 April to 13 June, the curriculum-integrated programme included:

   •   Sea Safety and Awareness

   •   Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP)

   •   Mega SUP (a giant group paddleboard)

   •   Coasteering

   •   Kayaking

   •   Shore-based Team Building Activities

All activities were delivered by One Ilfracombe’s “Into The Blue Crew”:

   •   Allie Kaufman & Terri Ingram – Coastal Swim Coaching

   •   Matt De Havilland – H2Outdoor

   •   Dan Northcott – Active Escape Adventure

   •   Plus, Stuart Carpenter and the team at Ilfracombe RNLI for team building sessions

“This project began with a vision from the Ilfracombe Futures to help local children feel a greater sense of belonging to their town,” said Neil Ingram, Project Officer at One Ilfracombe. “Not all children who live by the coast feel confident in the water. Into The Blue changes that. It’s been incredible to see them grow – and to hear the laughter echoing across the Cove.”

Ilfracombe Harbourmaster, Georgina Carlo-Paat, echoed this sentiment:

“Water safety is about more than swimming in a pool. These children are learning real-life skills – how to understand tides, cold water responses, and how to get out of trouble. Most importantly, they’re learning not to fear the sea, but to respect and enjoy it.”

A total of £28,000+ in funding made the programme possible, thanks to generous support from:

   •   The Children’s Alliance

   •   Fullabrook Community Interest Company

   •   Active Devon

   •   North Devon Council

With strong community backing and proven impact, One Ilfracombe hopes to make Into The Blue an annual programme for Year 5 students, while also exploring opportunities to reach children outside mainstream education.

As at the time of writing this (20th June 2025) Charmain and Neil are in the process of undertaking a full post project review, the details of which will be published in due course.

To support, learn more, or get involved in future delivery or funding:

Contact Neil Ingram at neil.ingram@northdevon.gov.uk

or Charmain Lovett at charmain.lovett@northdevon.gov.uk