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Transformative Research Actions for Resilient Coastal Communities (TRACC)

Working together for a thriving, fair and climate-resilient coastline

What is TRACC?

TRACC is a large UK-wide project (2024–2028) funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It brings together local communities and organisations with researchers, and decision-makers to explore how coastal places can become more resilient, sustainable and socially just in the face of environmental, social, economic and cultural change.

Across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, TRACC is creating Resilience Collectives (RCs) – local partnerships that put community voices at the centre of coastal decision-making.

What is a Resilience Collective?

A Resilience Collective (RC) is a group of local people, organisations, researchers and public bodies who work together to explore what resilience means for their community and how best to increase it.

RCs aim to:

Steer TRACC research locally and learn together about resilience
Build stronger, more confident and more connected coastal communities
Make it easier for people to influence coastal planning and decisions
Test creative and participatory ways of understanding resilience, values and local priorities
Develop long-lasting relationships that continue beyond the TRACC project

RCs are open, inclusive and evolve over time. Members can join at different points in time and take part in ways that suit them.

What will RCs do?
Each RC will co-design its own programme of activity, supported by TRACC partners. Activities may include:

Creative practices such as storytelling, forum theatre, soundscapes and local arts projects
Values and nature-connection work, exploring how people relate to their coast
Ocean and climate literacy tools to help communities understand future risks and opportunities
Marine ecosystem modelling, allowing local groups to explore “what if?” scenarios
Citizen panels that bring together a diverse mix of voices
Assessments of the economic and sociocultural values of nature, showing how ecosystems support wellbeing and local identity

Each RC also has access to £15,000 of community funding for locally designed projects.

A UK-wide learning network
'RCs will share their experiences through a new UK Resilience Assembly, supported by TRACC partners and the Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN).
This ensures that community insights influence regional and national strategies on coastal resilience, sustainability and social justice.'

What is the role of the Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN)?

The Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN) plays a central role in ensuring TRACC delivers meaningful impact throughout the project and leaves a lasting legacy beyond its completion. Drawing on the experience of the UK's Coastal, Estuary and Marine Partnerships (CEMPs), CPN helps bridge the gap between local communities, researchers and national decision-makers.

During the project, CPN will:

Support RCs by sharing practical guidance, facilitation expertise and lessons from the wider CEMP network.
Help RCs connect with local CEMPs, strengthening collaboration and reducing duplication.
Lead UK-wide learning exchanges, enabling communities and researchers to share ideas, tools and approaches across different regions.
Contribute to the UK Resilience Assembly, ensuring community knowledge informs national conversations on coastal governance.
Develop accessible communication resources, inclusive engagement methods and Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB)-aligned approaches to encourage broad participation.
Provide expertise in collaborative governance, values-led approaches and community-led decision-making, helping to ground TRACC in practical coastal management experience.

Beyond the lifetime of the project, CPN will:

Support RCs to evolve into long-term CEMPs where appropriate, creating enduring community-led governance.
Embed TRACC's learning across CPN's national network to strengthen the "missing middle" of coastal governance throughout the UK.
Share practical tools and methods—including forum theatre, ocean literacy assessments, social value approaches and natural capital techniques—for use by CEMPs nationwide.
Work with project partners to influence national policy, marine planning and coastal adaptation, ensuring the voices and priorities of coastal communities are reflected in decision-making.
Maintain a UK-wide community of practice focused on resilience, ocean literacy, nature connection and inclusive governance.

Why TRACC matters

Coastal communities across the UK are already experiencing the impacts of climate change and environmental, social and economic change. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, more frequent extreme weather, changing local economies and the loss of cultural heritage all present significant challenges.

TRACC aims to help communities:

Strengthen local resilience and prepare for future change.
Develop fairer and more inclusive approaches to decision-making.
Deepen connections between people and the coastal environment.
Support long-term sustainability and climate adaptation.
Build lasting partnerships and locally led pathways to positive change.

Get involved

If you live, work or volunteer in a coastal community and want to help shape the future of your coastline, we'd love to hear from you. By joining your local RC, you can help build stronger, fairer and more resilient coastal communities across the UK.

To find out more, please contact your local RC:

Mid Wales: Hywel Griffiths
Lough Foyle: Heather Ritchie
Clyde: Anthony Gallagher
Humber: Eirini Saratsi

Get involved with the CPN TRACC Learning Programme

We are currently developing an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to recruit CEMPs to the CPN TRACC Learning Programme. Funding is available to cover time and reasonable travel expenses. Once the EOI opens, we will circulate the application to our network of CEMPs*.

*If you're not part of our CEMPs network but would like to be involved, please get in touch. We'd be happy to discuss the programme and how you can take part.