A photographic exhibition designed to have a ‘Ripple Effect’ on the local community will open to the public on Monday (November 4).

Children and young people aged 8 to18 living across the Morecambe Bay area have been encouraged to step outside, spend time in blue spaces and think about what their local waterways mean to them.

The photographs on show at Lancaster University Library and Lancaster Central Library in Market Square and, subsequently, at Heysham Library, will include a selection of the winning entries, and those with ‘honourable mentions’, chosen by a youth-led judging panel.

Ripple Effects Morecambe Bay is a collaboration between Ripple Effects International, Global Link, the Ernest Cook Trust’s Blue Influencer Programme, local libraries and Morecambe Bay Curriculum (MBC).

“Together, we believe in the importance and power in elevating the voices of young people whilst we care for the environment, where we live and the future sustainability of the nature around us,” says Lancaster University-based MBC Partnership Development Manager Carys Nelkon

The photographic competition has been inspired by a sister competition in Louisville, Kentucky, where the library encourages young people to explore their local waterways and the things they care about.

This project has been replicated in South Africa, Australia and now here in Morecambe Bay.

Professor Mary Brydon-Miller and Professor Bronwyn Williams, from the University of Louisville officially launched’ Ripple Effects Morecambe Bay’ whilst visiting the Morecambe Bay Curriculum Conference in the summer of 2024.

“By understanding our local area, we can connect better with the wider world,” said Ant Briggs, from Global Link. “We are proud of all the young people who have entered Ripple Effects Morecambe Bay in 2024.”