We are thrilled to announce that our Coastal Water Fund is now open for applications. After a successful launch last year, the Sea-Changers Coastal Fountain Fund has re-opened to applicants who want to install a water bottle refill station in a busy or environmentally important coastal location. In 2020 the fund was able to support projects across the UK including Camber Sands in East Sussex and Portstewart Strand in County Londonderry.
The fund aims to tackle the increasing problem of plastic bottles left behind along the coasts as marine litter, which damage the marine environment and the species that call it home. It is anticipated that the provision of the water refill stations will significantly reduce the numbers of non-reusable plastic drinks bottles on our beaches. In fact, research suggests that providing more free drinking water in public spaces could lead to a 65% reduction in the use of plastic water bottles.
The fund is being sponsored by the specialist international distribution and services group, Bunzl plc, who are supporting this work as part of their response to the plastic challenge. The issue remains widespread on UK beaches despite the rising awareness around the dangers of single-use plastic.
Helen Webb, Co-Founder of Sea-Changers said ‘We are thrilled to be running the Coastal Water Fund for a second year. We’re confident it will have a huge impact on plastic pollution and use of single-use plastic in the chosen beach locations. At the current time there are only a handful of water fountains on beach locations in the UK and we already know these are having a big positive impact on both the local environment and on beach-goers’ behaviour, as they refill existing bottles rather than buying new ones. It is great to be supported in this initiative by Bunzl plc, who are showing their commitment to addressing the plastic challenge.’
James Pitcher, Head of Sustainability at Bunzl plc said, “We know that our customers, suppliers and the societies in which our businesses operate around the world all want to find ways to protect our environment and to make better use of natural resources. That’s why we’re delighted to be supporting this initiative and are looking forward to seeing water bottle refill stations installed around the UK coast.”
The Sea-Changers Coastal Fountain Fund 2021 is now inviting applications from around the UK and will remain open to funding requests until the closing date 15th March 2021. Each applicant can bid for up to £2,000 to fund one fountain.
Full details on how to apply and the funding criteria can be found here.
The first Sea-Changers coastal water fountain has just been installed at Camber Sands.