Coastal Community Team Members

The Coastal Community Team is currently make up of representatives from a number of local organisations and groups, as well as businesses and Southend Borough Council. See below for a full list of current organisations represented. For more information or if you would like your organisation to be represented, see the Contacts page of this site.

Shoeburyness Residents Association

Established in 1949, the SRA was set up to preserve and improve the quality of life for the people of Shoeburyness. The SRA is non-political and has been influential over the years with important local issues, campaigning for and against many projects and developments. A magazine is issued twice a year – the ‘Shoebury Resident’ and the SRA holds very well attended public meetings to hear talks and host discussions on a range of issues relevant to the area.

Garrison Residents Association

The GRA represents every resident of the Garrison Estate. The GRA is a proactive organisation set up to promote and protect the common rights and interests of its residents within the greater Shoeburyness area.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Southend Council are the accountable body for Shoeburyness CCT with the area of Shoeburyness being within the Southend Borough Boundary. The Council is represented on the CCT by up to four local Shoeburyness councillors, and attended by officers as well where relevant/necessary.

Shoebury Society

The Shoebury Society holds information about the history of the wider Shoebury area and has been intimately involved with the Garrison and the preservation of its archives and artefacts since 1986. The Shoebury Society hosts events, publishes information and booklets on the history of Shoeburyness and comments on planning applications.

Shoeburyness and South Essex Branch Royal Artillery Association

The Association was established in 1920 (the Shoeburyness Branch was established in 1929) with many members having served at both the New and Old Ranges when the Regiment was based in the area. The Association hold regular meetings locally and host regular events. In 2019 the Association also took on custody and responsibility for the Shoeburyness Archives, collected from 1979 by Major Tony Hill MBE. The collections hold important information on both the Old and New Ranges including photographs, drawings and maps, documents, books and records of military activity, as well as a wide range of artefacts.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Café)

Located at Shoebury Common South and close to the beach huts and Shoebury Common Beach, Uncle Tom’s cabin is a popular local café which has been key feature of the offer locally for many years.

Shoeburyness Waterman’s Association

Shoeburyness Waterman’s Association (SWA) provide affordable recreational boating maintenance facilities to its members, the majority of whom are constituents of the local community and surrounding area. The association has a membership of 85 and within this number, individuals own a fleet of 77 small recreational motor vessels and yachts. It provides recovery, storage and launch services employing its three main assets. Two tractors and a boat trailer.

Ministry of Defence (MoD)

The MoD are a major landowner in the area including the New Ranges and Foulness Island. Although the MoD do not directly operate the ranges (this is done through QinetiQ), they retain a small staff presence on the site and are responsible for overseeing local byelaws.

As well as the core member of the Shoeburyness Coastal Community Team there are a number of organisations who attend as visitors on a fairly regular basis, and who are kept involved through the circulation of information, minutes etc. These organisations may have a direct influence on specific projects or concepts emerging from the CCT.

• QinetiQ – QinetiQ operates the Ranges site at Shoeburyness on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) under a long-term partnering agreement. QinetiQ provide defence test and evaluation and training support services from New Ranges and Foulness Island.
• Essex Wildlife Trust – EWT is Essex’s leading conservation charity with more than 34,000 members across the county, managing and protecting over 8,200 acres of land on 87 nature reserves, 2 nature parks. EWT also manages 10 visitor centres. The aim of the Trust is to protect wildlife for future and for the people of Essex. The Trust have a contract with Southend Council to manage key areas of Gunners Park and have a full-time Warden who oversees a large group of volunteers.
• Southend National Coastwatch Institution (Southend NCI) Watch Station – Operates a Watch Station from a cabin just inside the perimeter fence of the MoD site at the far eastern end of Shoebury East Beach. It is part of a national, charitable institution run by volunteers whose primary purpose is to maintain a watch upon all users of inshore waters and the coast in the vicinity of Shoebury East Beach such as kite-surfers, swimmers and small boat users. It seeks to ensure their safety. In cases of need the Coastguard will be contacted who in turn may task the lifeboat. Southend NCI is an accredited part of national Search and Rescue arrangements and always welcomes new volunteers. NCI’s patron is the Princess Royal.
• Andrew Church Shoeburyness – Ancient church building which dates back to the year 1100 and is active within the local community