Call for support | Sea Sense: lifesaving sea-safety for Ireland's coastal children

In Ireland, the sea is never far away. It shapes our towns, our work and our weekends — and for marine businesses, it's the heart of everything we do. Yet many children grow up beside the water without ever being taught how it actually behaves. Tides, currents, cold-water shock, rip currents: these are rarely part of a child's learning, and every year that gap leads to avoidable rescues, near-misses and tragedies around our coast.

Sea Sense was created to change that. It's a fun, practical, school-based programme that teaches children how the sea works, and how to stay safe and respond in an emergency around the water. A trained local coach leads an engaging "Sea Sense Day" at the school, we provide pupil and family learning materials, and each school receives a short impact report afterwards. The programme is proven, and has already been featured by the BBC and ITV.

The idea is simple: give children practical, lifesaving knowledge they can carry for the rest of their lives — knowledge they also take home and share with their families. In coastal communities, where the sea is part of everyday life, that understanding genuinely saves lives.

Sea Sense is delivered free to schools, funded by local sponsors. And this is where Ireland's marine industry can play a real part. Few organisations are better placed to support coastal safety education than the businesses that work on and around the water every day. By sponsoring Sea Sense in a local school, a company gives children in its community genuinely lifesaving skills — while creating a clear, positive story around its connection to the coast, its people and its place.

Sponsoring a school is straightforward and affordable, and we take care of everything: booking the school, delivering the day, providing the materials and reporting back on the impact. Sponsors are recognised through the school delivery, the learning materials and, often, local media coverage — a good-news story that communities love to share.

We'd love to bring Sea Sense to coastal schools right across Ireland, and we're keen to hear from any MIIN members who'd like to get involved — whether that's sponsoring a school, helping spread the word, or simply finding out more.

To learn more or get involved, contact William Thomson at Tide School: www.tidalcompass.com · Instagram @tide._school