Younger and older members of the community in Filey have benefitted from civil engineering contractor Jackson’s social value work, delivered on the Filey sea wall refurbishment programme. The £2.95 million scheme, awarded by North Yorkshire Council via YORcivil2 and funded by the Environment Agency, began in August 2024 and was completed this spring. Work included replacing damaged sections, repairing slipways and steps, and addressing erosion concerns, and was undertaken outside the busy summer season to minimise the impact on the coastal community.

As Jackson’s most northerly project was close to completion, a final special visit was arranged for an entire year group from Filey Junior School.

Around 70 excited students arrived at the promenade in staggered groups, ready for a treasure hunt and a chance to see how repairs to the seawall would help protect their town.

The treasure hunt featured historic photos from the local museum, enabling students to compare century-old images to today’s landscape – standing in the same spots as the original photos.

Later, Senior Project Manager Darren Blank and Public Liaison Officer Phil Waines were joined by museum curator Melanie Moore, a former Filey Junior student herself, and together they delivered a presentation for the pupils on coastal erosion. This led to a creative challenge: for pupils to imagine what Filey might look like 100 years from now.

A week later, a smaller group visited Filey Fields Residential Home to share their poems and artwork. They rounded off the morning by swapping stories and enjoying time with the residents, discussing the town’s rich history and mixing fresh ideas with lived experience, the different generations coming together to create a stronger, more connected community.

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