However, despite that, Lyme Regis shares many of the challenges common to small seaside and rural towns - from high house prices, low local wages and seasonal jobs, all the way through to youth disengagement and geographic isolation.

I am the Chief Executive of The Lyme Regis Development Trust, a community-based organisation set up to tackle some of these challenges. Our objective is to stimulate the economic, social and environmental well-being for all in Lyme Regis and its surrounding areas.

At it’s core, we lead on local Community Consultation & Planning - most recently, supporting an initiative called Lyme Forward which led to the town’s recent Community Plan. We are now helping to implement that plan using the extended network of statutory and voluntary organisations and individuals in our area.

Complimenting our implementation of the Community Plan, we also organise two fantastic festivals every year:  the Fossil Festival and an Arts Festival that’s heralded as a week of joyful celebration and attracting increasing visitor numbers year-on-year.

In addition, we run a Youth Cafe and a Sure Start Centre. We've also developed and implemented an Affordable Housing Strategy, supported a long list of local Community Organisations, and work on a range of other projects to regenerate and improve the local area. Currently, we're trying to set up a community managed library for local people.