Hi Clean Coasts Group
So many things happened in February: the Clean Coasts Grant Scheme 2020 was launched, we ran our #BreakUpWithPlastic campaign for Valentine’s Day, we had a few Roadshows around the country and registrations for the Dublin Community Clean Up Day are now open!
As always, we were so overwhelmed with all the stories from volunteer groups and individuals who have been volunteering their time last month to look after our coast.
Finally, just a quick reminder that registrations for the National Spring Clean are open and that in this email you will also find a calendar of events planned for Clean Coasts for the first half of the year. In 2020, we will no longer be running the Clean Coasts Week. This call to action will be replaced by a Clean Coasts Weekend, which will run the first weekend of June.
Take a look to see what has happened!
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| Applications for Clean Coasts Grant Scheme 2020 are open |
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Applications for the Clean Coasts Grants 2020 are open. Grants are available to all groups that have been registered with Clean Coasts for the past 3 months, for coastal projects, equipment, insurance or events.
New for 2020 is our Summer series running from May to September, a grant opportunity for groups that are going to run an event during the summer.
Available support opportunities:
- Summer Series Event
- Grant up to €500
- Beach Cleaning Kit
- 2 Minute Beach Clean Board
To find out more and apply, visit our website.
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Don’t forget to #BreakUpWithPlastic
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For Valentine’s Day, we challenged people from all over Ireland to end their toxic relationship with single use plastic and find a more suitable match – how about a bamboo toothbrush or a reusable straw?
With the #BreakUpWithPlastic initiative, we are trying to raise further awareness about the global issue of plastic pollution and ask people to stop opting for single-use plastic. Ireland has some of the most diverse and spectacular coastlines in the world. However, an excessive use of plastic is not only damaging its image and polluting Irish oceans and seas, but it is also threatening our marine wildlife and people’s health.
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Have you seen our “No more Plastic!” brochure?
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Are you looking for some inspiration on why you should end your relationship with single use plastic and how to do it?
We created a No More Plastic! brochure that you can download by clicking on the image or the button below!
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The Dublin Community Clean Up Day is back
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From the mountains to the sea let’s make Dublin litter free!
Building on the success of the 2019 call to action, the Dublin Community Clean Up Day is back again this year and registrations are now open!
Register your clean-up, or join an existing one. Check out our website to find out more.
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We have some news! Clean Coasts is now on Linkedin too.
Check out our profile to find out about updates, roadshows and general news, and don’t forget to give us a follow!
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It’s that time of the year again! Clean Coasts Roadshows are back and they will run between January to April in coastal regions around Ireland.
Roadshows are a series of free events for coastal communities that are a mix of talks and workshops covering topics such as biodiversity, dune systems, marine litter, wildlife, sustainable developments, work by local groups and organisations. Keep a look at our event page to find out when the next roadshow near you is taking place!
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| What we’ll be up to in 2020 – all the news |
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The Clean Coasts team works hard to try to come up with activities and events to support our groups. These are some of the events that will take place in the first half of 2020:
January
- Roadshows
- First Fortnight Festival Sea Swim – Jan 11th
- Green Schools Marine Environment Conference 2020 – Jan 29th-30th
February
March
- Roadshows
- Doolin Surf Festival – Mar 20th-21st
April
- National Spring Clean – You can register HERE
- Dublin Big Community Clean-Up Day – Apr 25th – You can register HERE
May
- Start of our Summer Series events (until September)
- Cork Big Coastal Clean-Up – May Bank Holiday
- European Maritime Day 2020 – May 14th- 15th
- Sea Fest – May 16th-17th
- Green Coast and Blue Flag Awards
June
- Summer Series continue
- Clean Coasts Weekend – Jun 5th-8th
We want to involve our volunteers as much as possible and we want them to feel supported. Is there any event in particular you would like to see in your local community? Is there any aspect you think should be improved within the Clean Coasts programme? You can let us know in our feedback survey!
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| You still have time to tell us what you think |
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The Clean Coasts programme aim to support groups through education, provision of clean-up kit, events and regional Clean Coasts Officers. We want to hear from you so that we can improve our work and give our groups even more support.
We are giving away a #2minutebeachclean reusable bag and a pair of gloves to help you in your next beach clean. Click below to complete our survey and be in for a chance to be one of the lucky winners of the draw.
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| Registrations for #SpringClean20 are now open! |
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Don’t forget that no matter where you are, your clean-up can make a difference for the marine environment and wildlife. Registrations for #SpirngClean20 are now open!
National Spring Clean is a fellow environmental Education Unit programme, which runs throughout the month of April and brings together communities throughout the country to tackle the problem of litter in local areas. Beaches and coastal areas are included in this initiative and groups will get a free clean up pack if you register.
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Happy stories from February
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Clean Coasts Tarbert had their first few beach cleans of the year in February and it was such an incredible event. On February 8th, five volunteers collected so many bags of rubbish and plastic waste, as well as a piece of netting,a shoe and a toilet frame! On February 22nd, they removed an additional 16 bags of marine litter from their local beach.
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This month, Galway Atlantaquaria held regular beach clean-ups around the Galway area, despite the bad weather. They really do an excellent work not only removing marine litter from our coast but also by getting their community involved. Great job guys!
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Eco Chef conducts regular clean-ups in Renville Village, Oranmore, Co. Galway. This is a picture from their latest beach clean. They said it was such an enjoyable event and that they are looking for volunteers! Would you give them a hand?
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Do you remember this mural by Subset that popped up in Temple Bar? Subset talked to us about their Climate project and how they are using art to raise awareness about the issue of plastic pollution. Read the full post below.
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Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded about what we are fighting for. Ireland has such a beautiful and diverse coastline and this travelling couple is telling us all about the best spots along the coast in Mayo. And like they say in it “why not take up #2minutebeachclean each time you visit one of the Ireland’s beautifully unspoiled beaches? “ |
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Clean Coasts works with businesses throughout Ireland on corporate volunteering days. These businesses support our Clean Coasts grant by ways of a donation for the day. We are hoping to work more closely with Clean Coasts groups in 2019 to support any much needed coastal work that could be completed by our corporate volunteers. The groups vary in size from 10 to 30 and would be delighted to help with any projects that there may be at your adopted beach. Please contact us at cleancoasts@eeu.antaisce.org if you have any suitable projects in mind.
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Do you have a coastal story?
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The Clean Coasts Blog is a collection of stories that touches on the experience of Clean Coasts staff and the coast. There stories vary from finding fossils on Sligo beaches to their experience of cold water swimming. We would love to hear your stories which will be showcased on our social media platforms and website. If you have a story to share or would like to write a piece on becoming a Clean Coasts group or any other experience you would like to share. please let us know. We are looking for short pieces using your own voice.
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