24 October 2025.
Nature, Time and Money.

Dean Spears reflects on the value of time, nature and money, and how Sussex Bay is building a shared blueprint for seascape recovery. It is a reminder that our work is not abstract but alive, connected, and shaped by everyone who gives their time to care for our coast.

If there is one thing I have learned over the past few years, it is that time is the most precious thing we can give and ask for. Money matters, of course, it pays for the surveys, the projects, the staff and the science, but time is what allows nature to breathe, people to connect, and ideas to take root.

This time last year, our initial seed funding was ending, and we were quietly preparing for the possibility that Sussex Bay might close before it had really begun. Thankfully, through competitive bids and partnerships, we now have funding secured until at least 2028, and we are already planning how to sustain our work beyond that.  That’s a pattern across much of the environmental sector: we’re all having to compete for the same pot of resources. We need sustainable, long term funding and more people to get involved and bring what they can.

And that’s where we come in. At Sussex Bay, we want as much money as we can to go directly to nature and to our fund for seascape recovery. We also want to make sure that every pound we spend is directed in the safest, most community and science-led ways. That is why we are developing, with you all, our blueprint for seascape recovery. Because Sussex Bay is not an abstract project or concept, it is a living organism, and it belongs to all of us. We always ask where does the money come from and have strict rules about what we accept backed up by local government procedures and democratic processes.

In our latest annual report (for download from www.sussexbay.org.uk), we have shared exactly how every pound is spent and where it must go as specified by the same funders: there isn’t a big pot of free cash sadly. Sometimes people assume we are richer than we are (there’s 3 of us working in an area across 1.7 million residents), but in truth, much of what we do depends on collaboration, goodwill, and the time that people give freely. I am always in awe of the brilliant people I meet in this role, day in and day out. We have a wonderful group of creative people who have come together to help shape Sussex Bay in innovative ways, so that more people can get involved and feel part of what we are building together.  We are so grateful to everyone who has given your time.

It is tough out there. So many of us are working towards the same vision, a thriving and resilient natural environment, yet the system often makes us compete for the same limited pots of funding. I am often reminded of something from my geography and philosophy days at Bristol, that the shortest route between A and B is not always a straight line. Sometimes it is a curve, winding, uncertain, shaped by tides, terrain and time.  It can be messy, but we love it.  I was reading, listening and voice-recording on so many wonderful Sussex Bay Whatsapp groups yesterday and it struck me how awesome it is that so many people are helping.

I was reminded recently, when thinking about our connection with nature, to look up and be in the moment around us. Often, it is in those small pauses that we see the beauty we are working to protect.

If you would like to be part of that journey, there are many ways to get involved. You can volunteer your time, join a local event, or simply take a walk and share what you see. Every action helps us care for our coast and nature together. Visit sussexbay.org.uk/get-involved to find out more.

Thank you for being part of this journey, and for giving your time to nature. See you in your Sussex Bay soon, Dean.