YOUNG people from some of Pembrokeshire’s most deprived communities have been exploring the risks posed by climate change to the county’s coastal heritage.

Part of a partnership project between the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) and MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), the project Tough Decisions: Communicating Climate Risk and Heritage Loss was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through MOLA’s Impact Acceleration Account.

Eight day-long workshops were delivered with the support of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Futureworks service. Learners aged 16–20 were helped to develop skills in digital recording, videography and storytelling while confronting the reality of heritage loss along Pembrokeshire’s coast.

Tomos Jones, PCNPA Community Archaeologist, said that the Futureworks learners’ films “now provide powerful new resources for schools, communities and policymakers alike.”

Sites explored included the promontory fort at Caerfai, the cemetery, kiln and rath at St Brides, and the East Blockhouse at West Angle. Each visit was paired with skills sessions, from drone use and 3D modelling to scripting and video editing. Participants worked bilingually in Welsh and English, producing short films that captured their own perspectives on climate risk, heritage and identity.

Kit Ackland, Digital Archaeologist at MOLA, said: “Pembrokeshire’s coastline holds an extraordinary range of archaeological sites, many of which are now at risk from rising seas and erosion. This project was about more than recording what might be lost – it was about equipping young people with the tools to tell those stories in their own voices and opening up new ways for communities to connect with their heritage.”

The final videos are set to be showcased at the Pembrokeshire Coast Archaeology Day event on Saturday, November 8 at Pembrokeshire College, where Kit Ackland (MOLA) and Rhowan Alleyne (PCNPA) will discuss the project and its impact.