A new sculpture inspired by the work of students at Orchard Manor School has been erected in Dawlish this week.

‘The Coastguard’ is one of four sculptures being installed along the South Devon coast between Exmouth and Paignton as part of a project called ‘Uncertain Tides’.

The two-year project. funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aimed to connect diverse young people across Devon with their local coastline. Run by the Paddleboat Theatre Company, ‘Uncertain Coasts’ worked with children in a variety of schools, libraries, heritage spaces and in the great outdoors to explore what the coast means to young people today, the challenges our coast faces and how we might protect it in the future.

In Dawlish, Year 7 students at Orchard Manor School took part in a beach clean with Dawlish Against Plastic and Shores of South Devon. They also learnt about local coastal erosion and discovered local marine wildlife.

The students used what they had learnt to work with the Paddleboat Theatre Company to create a junk-modelled diorama of the coastline. The students also designed their own futuristic sea defences and developed their own drama performances.

This work was used as the inspiration for the Dawlish sculpture created by Exeter-based woodworker Brendan Rawlings from Zen Wood Design.

The sculpture also includes a QR code, which will link to a game where players are asked to help the old lighthouse keeper to repair his light and can explore creative work by young people and discover more about the coastline.

‘The Coastguard’ is the third of the four sculptures to be installed and it is located near the aviary on Brunswick Place. There are also sculptures on Cliff Park Road in Paignton and Sideshore in Exmouth.