The English Riviera Geopark Organisation (ERGO) is responsible for the overall coordination and management of the Geopark.  The Key agencies concerned with managing Torbay’s heritage established this organisation in 2007, which is a formally constituted body charged with overseeing the Geopark.

To coordinate the management of the English Riviera Geopark

To promote, support and facilitate, encourage and enable local projects, initiatives and events that help protect and raise awareness of Torbay’s geological heritage

To strengthen existing partnerships and develop new networks to ensure that the geological qualities of the English Riviera Geopark are sustained and promoted for current and future generations

Churston Ferrers Grammar School
Devon Regionally Important Geological Sites Group
Herald Express
Heritage South Devon
Kents Cavern
Natural England
Palm FM
South Devon College
South Devon Geography Association
Torbay Business Forum
Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust
Torbay Development Agency
Torbay Council – Cultural Services
Torquay Boys Grammar School
Torquay Grammar School for Girls
Torquay Museum
University of Plymouth

Our management aims are brought together under three overriding themes and it is these that determine the work program for managing the English Riviera Geopark.

Maintain the ERGO and co-ordinate activities.

Ensure that geosites and other themes and/or sites with links to the geological heritage (archaeological, ecological, historical or cultural) are high on the agenda within the region’s economic regeneration framework for sustainable development.

Work within the European Geopark Network to further the network's construction and cohesion in partnership with other European and global geosites.

Facilitate the protection and enhancement of geosites.

Encourage research into methods for the sustainable management of Torbay’s geosites and share best practice with other sites in the UK and abroad.

Our policy on Fossil and Mineral Collection can be found on pages 45 and 46 of the English Riviera Geopark Management Plan, which is available for download from our publications page, or directly by clicking here. (This is a 1.6Mb PDF file).

Work with the tourism sector to actively promote economic development through the enhancement of tourism activities linked to the geological heritage.

Encourage and enable access to geosites where this can be achieved sustainably for the benefit of the community.

Support and develop wide-reaching community-based educational and interpretation programmes concerning geosites and the geological heritage.