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Posted 11 months ago

Solar energy in Shropshire is shining a glowing spotlight on how local communities benefit from new green technology after eco supporters bought a solar farm.

The Shropshire solar farm has joined forces with four others with the joint aim to give around £20 million to green energy projects nationwide over their 18 year or more lifespan.

The innovative scheme involves the UK’s largest transfer of renewable energy assets into community hands, says Howard Betts, of Shropshire and Telford Community Energy (STCE), which bought Twemlows solar farm, near Whitchurch, in December and powers the equivalent of 3,400 homes.

: Twemlows solar farm, near Whitchurch, Shropshire.

Community organisations across Shropshire, which have received around £60,000 over the past three years, praised the scheme.

“We’re a small community and it takes a lot to raise this kind of money. Thank goodness for the Twemlows community fund,” said Rose Aston, chair of Longnor Village Hall, near Church Stretton, which received £1,000 for insulation.

“We did the work ourselves putting in 90sqm of thick layers of Rockwool. It’s made a world of difference to the hall. We only have to put the heating on for an hour then we can turn it off as the hall retains the heat. We also insulated below the floor. By doing both, the acoustics have significantly improved too.”  

Jodie Rudd, manager of community owned Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, which received £4,000 towards solar panels, said: “The grant from STCE was a key contribution to the funding that allowed us to install our solar panels. They’ve generated nearly 10,000kWh to date and substantially cut our electricity bills. 

“This helps us continue to provide so many local services such as our coffee shop, community cinema and a wide range of family and leisure activities. We were pleased to show a short video clip about STCE’s share offer before our films last year.” 

STCE joined Gower Power, Kent Community Energy, Wight Community Energy and Yealm Community Energy to form Community Energy Together (CET) where investors bought their local solar farms to get a target six per cent interest, while donating money to good causes.

The idea originated with funding in 2017 from Power to Change and Big Society Capital buying seven UK solar farms so that they could benefit local communities. 

Shropshire and Telford Community Energy, established in 2020, now has 126 investors and distribute £20,000 in community benefits each year to local communities with plans to expand.

“We bought a solar farm”…some of the Shropshire investors.

Groups to benefit so far also include Rushbury village hall granted £4,000 for new energy efficient windows and doors; Park Lane Centre in Telford has new water butts and low energy lighting; Lightfoot Enterprises, of Bishops Castle, which initiates projects to combat climate change received £4,920 to carry out home energy surveys while Harmer Hill village hall, Shrewsbury, haven’t paid an electricity bill since installing solar panels, with £1,000 contributed from STCE. Shrewsbury United Reformed Church is being helped with secondary glazing.

CET Director Dave Green said: “We’ve been working for the past three years to get to this position. STCE has come a long way from our standing start in 2020 to taking ownership of Twemlows solar farm. We have plans for more community owned energy including a wind turbine and heat network in Bishop’s Castle.” 

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Posted 11 months ago

ducation charity, The Country Trust, calls for urgent action to give children more soil-based learning in schools and launches Plant Your Pants campaign to help close the gap

A survey conducted by ChildWise[1] for education charity The Country Trust has revealed the worrying lack of understanding among children about the connection between the food they eat and the soil.

The survey of children aged 7 to 17 highlighted a significant knowledge gap, with around 40% of children saying they either don’t know or don’t believe soil is important for the production of the food they eat. This revelation is particularly alarming given that 95% of food, and therefore all human life, depends on soil, and it’s under significant threat.

The survey also found that around a third of children don’t have the opportunity to put their hands in soil – either through play or soil-based activities such as gardening – at home or at school. The findings reinforce the Country Trust’s call for every child’s education to include hands-on learning about the miraculous life support system beneath their feet and the farms that produce our food. The charity is launching its Plant Your Pants campaign on the first day of spring (20 March) as an easy way for everyone to learn more about soil – the invisible world that gives us life.

Reacting to the news, Jill Attenborough, CEO of The Country Trust, says:

“The results of this latest survey only serve to underline the urgent need for hands-on learning about soil and the land to be a vital part of every child’s education, from early years right through to further education. If we and our world are to thrive, we need our children to be given regular opportunities to get their hands dirty, in the soil. And we need to equip teachers to guide children to discover the amazing, life-giving world within it.

“Our work with schools across England and Wales, particularly those from areas of socioeconomic disadvantage, reveals a really significant gap in knowledge, even though ‘rocks and soils’ are part of the National Curriculum. If children don’t have the opportunity to discover through first-hand experience that their lives depend on healthy soil, how can we expect them to look after it or be equipped to deal with the global climate challenges ahead of them? We have launched a national soil health campaign, Plant Your Pants, as a fun, easy and eye-opening way for all of us to make better connections with the ground we rely on and hope everyone can take part this spring.”

The Country Trust connects disadvantaged children with the land that sustains us all through hands-on, sensory experiences of food and farming. Last year 23,000 children visited working farms with The Country Trust to learn at first-hand how food is grown and the vital importance of soil to all our lives

The charity’s fun and interactive soil health campaign, Plant Your Pants, launches on the first day of spring (20 March 2024) and is designed to encourage everyone to plant a pair of cotton underpants and then dig them up two months later to discover what has happened to them, and see soil biodiversity in action. A healthy soil ecosystem will break down and degrade the cotton faster than soil with low microbial activity, ideally leaving behind only the elastic.

Jill Attenborough explains: “Plant Your Pants is an opportunity for all of us to become soil scientists – observing, touching, listening to, and smelling the soil. Using all our senses we will tune in to the wonder of the unseen micro-organisms beneath our feet and discover how good food, grown well in healthy soils directly impacts our health and the health of the planet itself. We support our network of schools to take part each year but this year we want to extend the invitation to everyone. We’re here to support everyone to get planting!”

Soil provides 95% of our food, but how many of us really know what is in the soil, how it is formed, and what life it sustains beyond the plants we can see growing in it? Soil holds many of the answers to our urgent climate questions. It is one of the most important carbon sinks on the planet with the capacity to capture and store carbon in plant roots and systems which, even on a small garden scale, can be very effective.

Tom Fairfax, a regenerative organic farmer based in Northumberland who hosts Country Trust Farm Discovery school visits and is a Plant Your Pants soil champion, said: “Healthy soil is teeming with life, much of which can’t be seen by the naked eye, so getting our hands in the soil and seeing the way it acts on a pair of cotton pants is a brilliant way to experience its magic.  We have ignored the soil for too long and this has had a negative impact, not only on the environment, but also the quality of the food grown in it and our health. We all have a role to play in improving our soil, all we have to do is open our senses to the ground around us and listen to what it has to tell us.” 

Anyone can get involved with Plant Your Pants – it’s free to register online and you can join with other partici-pants by adding your pants to the interactive map. The activity can be enjoyed by individuals and families at home or by groups at allotment and gardening clubs, schools, youth and community groups or larger public access gardens. You don’t even need a garden – a window box or patio planter will do. Between 20 March and the big reveal in June, the Country Trust team, working with farmers and soil scientists will send informative and fun updates that encourage ‘partici-pants’ to use all their senses to explore the soil and encourage positive action to improve its health.

Find out more and register now at www.countrytrust.org.uk/plantyourpants

[1] ChildWise Playground Buzz Report, Autumn 2023, surveyed a sample of over 1,800 children via the ChildWise schools panel Children from school years 3 to 12 were approached to take part. Interviews were carried out online in schools.

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Posted 11 months ago
  • Harry has been spotted riding on e-bikes three times in the last five months
  • Auto Trader reveal a 53% increase in e-bike sales since May 2023
  • Snaps of Harry Styles riding a rented e-bike prompt a 20 point percentage jump in e-bike interest on Google Trends
  • Other celebrities who love to use e-bikes include James Cordon, Kate Hudson and Stella McCartney

The e-bike experts at Auto Trader have revealed a 53% increase in e-bike sales over the last nine months, showing a public boost of interest in the sustainable transport which coincides with celebrity uptake of e-bikes too.

Harry Styles has been papped using the eco-friendly mode of transport three times in the last five months. The first sighting was with good friend and English actor and comedian, James Cordon in September 2023, biking through London on popular pay-as-you-go Lime e-bikes. The friends were spotted wearing tinted sunglasses as they enjoyed riding the electric bikes through the streets of Primrose Hill.

Since then, Harry has been spotted two more times enjoying the smooth ride of an e-bike; once on his own wearing a vibrant orange jacket just 24 hours before his 30th birthday (February 1st 2024), and again with his girlfriend Taylor Russel later on in the month, as they shared a romantic couples’ nighttime bike ride together through London.

As well as e-bikes being an efficient and eco-friendly way of travelling around a crowded and busy city, it is also a super discreet way for A-list celebrities like Harry Styles to get through busy traffic, avoiding crowds and remaining relatively unnoticed; it seems e-bikes are giving celebs a sense of freedom that a super-famous face doesn’t always get to have.

According to Google Trends UK, search interest for e-bikes jumped up 20 percentage points in the days following Harry Styles and James Cordon’s e-bike ride in September 2023, with another interest spike in e-bikes showing in Google Trends again at the end of February 2024.

With over 2.7 million Google searches made each month worldwide for ‘e-bikes’, the sustainable transport is garnering a huge amount of interest, but they have taken a while to really take off in the UK compared to Europe1. However, it seems that eco-positive celebrities like Harry are helping create awareness in more eco-friendly travel.

Other celebrities who are big fans of travelling around on e-bikes include:

Fred again…

London-based DJ, Fred again... has been spotted plenty of times riding around London on rented e-bikes, with one memorable time involving Fred Again’s very own bike ride rave, in October 2022, to encourage others to follow on e-bikes and enjoy his latest set of music.

Kate Hudson & Stella McCartney

Embracing the warm weather, Kate Hudson was spotted riding around London with fashion designer and friend Stella McCartney in July last year hanging out and enjoying the blissful ride, romantically joined by their partners for what looked like a double date.

Matthew Boderick

Matthew Boderick’s most recent spotting on a rented e-bike was only a few weeks ago wearing a pair of blue denim jeans and white helmet heading out for his day-to-day activities. Boderick is no stranger to an e-bike having used one plenty of times over the last few years.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader, explains: “In a world where celebrities are often associated with private jets it’s fantastic to see  A-list celebrities like Harry Styles and Fred Again cruising around on e-bikes. E-bikes provide a lot of useful benefits for everyone, regardless of your celebrity status! They are speedy and efficient, allowing riders to avoid traffic but still arrive at their destination cool and collected as e-bikes don’t require the same physical effort as a normal bike.

Auto Trader are delighted to now offer a wide range of e-bikes to suit all kinds of journeys and commutes in a wonderfully eco-friendly way.  As many celebs know, e-bikes can provide fun and freedom, whilst also providing you with a good dose of fresh air, clearing your mind and adding some physical movement into your day-to-day activities.’

For those who want to ride around in style just like Mr Styles himself, there are a few things to consider ensuring safety and legality. There are:

  • All road-legal e-bikes in the UK have pedals and an electric motor of 250 Watts or less with a max speed of 15.5mph (25km/h).
  • To ride an e-bike in the UK, you need to be at least 14 years old.
  • Familiarize yourself with the general Highway Code for cyclists. This includes understanding traffic signs which may order you to stop at certain junctions, signals for indicating and road markings to ensure you’re cycling in the correct lanes.
  • Although some of the celebrities mentioned may not be, it’s recommend that you always wear a properly fitted helmet when cycling.
  • If possible, try to wear brightly coloured or reflective clothing, especially when riding at night to ensure other drivers and cyclists can see you on the road.
  • Obey traffic laws by riding in the same direction as traffic, using traffic signals such as using your arms to indicate, and be careful of pedestrians.

Sources: 

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Posted 11 months ago

From kitchen table start-up to thriving eCommerce and wholesale company, Once Upon a Tuesday’s UK-made, recycled paper calendars are now gracing the home and office walls of tens of thousands of people in 38 countries – all from a small studio tucked between the farming fields of Cornwall. Michele Ferron, founder of the colourful stationery brand, started creating design-inspired calendars and planners in 2020 during lockdown.

The company now consists of a team of eight. From the outset, the brand has had sustainability central to its brand philosophy – with a brand promise to print on 100% Recycled Paper and always in the U.K.

“We deeply feel that if we can’t do business in a transparent, caring, respectful, and purposeful way, we’d rather not do it at all,” says Michele. This BCorp certification is a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to using business as a force for good.

Why BCorp? “We love that this certification takes a holistic view of the business,” explains Michele “It assesses the five key areas of the company’s performance; governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. It gives us a strong framework and goals to work towards in building a brand that prioritises people and planet before profit.”
Their product line includes calendars, planners, diaries, and other paper goods, available through their website and retailers worldwide, including independent shops and renowned establishments like Selfridges in London.
Michele runs Once Upon a Tuesday with her partner Angus Johnston from Lanteague in Zelah, Cornwall where they have their design studio and warehouse within a vibrant community of small businesses. You can find us here:
www.onceuponatuesday.co.uk | Instagram: @onceuponatuesday_

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Posted 11 months ago

As a sustainable brand, Deakin & Blue is dedicated to being an antidote to fast fashion. Made from durable fabric, its swimwear is designed to last for years and for multiple uses from poolside sunbathing to swimming across oceans. Deakin & Blue also offers a swimwear recycling scheme.

In February 2024 Deakin & Blue launched the D&B Deadstock Designs, a limited-edition range of swimsuits and bikinis made from deadstock fabric. In Sustainability research conducted in January this year, 53% of women did not know what the term ‘deadstock’ meant. The fabric is surplus leftover from the fashion industry which would otherwise go to landfill.

Rosie Cook, founder and CEO, said: “These beautiful fabrics would have been thrown away had we not intervened. Now, they can be enjoyed by our customers, for swim after swim. As a brand, we’re always thinking about how to improve our sustainability, which is important to both us and our customers.”

94% of women said buying eco-friendly designs and sustainable products mattered to them.

D&B Deadstock Designs come in three of Deakin & Blue’s best-selling styles, The Reversible X-Back Swimsuit, The Reversible Plunge Swimsuit and The Plunge Bikini. Like all D&B styles, the swimwear is made responsibly in London where all workers are paid a fair wage.

D&B Deadstock Designs are:

● Made responsibly in East London, UK

● Tailored to fit a wide-range of female body shapes

● Available in sizes 8-24, AA-HH cup

● Shipped to customers in 100% recyclable packaging

● Sold with excellent post-sale customer service and free repairs after purchase

About Deakin & Blue

Deakin & Blue started in 2016 when Rosie tried to buy a swimsuit. She said: “I realised that swimwear offered either style or substance but never both. On one hand – beautiful, flimsy bikinis for lounging about and ordering cocktails; on the other – serious sportswear that offered little shape, support or style. I wanted a swimsuit that could offer me both.”

Rosie discovered that more than 500,000 women had given up swimming because of body image issues. She also found that half of all mums didn’t swim with their kids because of how they felt in swimwear. She realised that this lack of decent swimwear meant that women were missing out. So, she decided to solve the problem.

Working with a team of design experts, Rosie developed a set of pieces that transformed how swimwear feels, looks and is made. Combining fabrics made from ocean and deadstock waste, sustainable production and a ground-breaking sizing system, Deakin & Blue makes swimwear for a range of body shapes and sizes.

Deakin & Blue is dedicated to a circular economy, guided by the principles of eliminating waste and pollution, keeping its products in circulation, and repairing and regenerating old swimwear.

Key highlights from Deakin & Blue’s 2024 Sustainability Research

● 53% of women did not know what the term ‘deadstock’ meant

● 98% of women said purchasing garments with a positive or neutral impact on the planet was important

● 94% of women said buying eco-friendly designs and sustainable products mattered to them

● 73% said buying something sustainably made was more important than buying something on trend

● 93% said it was important to them to buy a garment where the maker was paid a fair wage

● 70% said it was important to them to buy a garment made from waste

● 81% said they try to buy and own less garments, but ensure that each item is a high quality piece

Find out more For more information visit Deakin & Blue. For comment, photography and samples contact: Alice – alice@deakinandblue.com, mobile +34 693 013 602

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Posted 11 months ago

The Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA) opened the doors today to its groundbreaking ‘Store of the Future’ in West Bridgford, which will help to raise vital funds to support the lifesaving missions for critically ill babies and children across the UK.

The construction of the unique store was made possible by partnering with an award-winning sustainable contractor, OAK Project Management, an ethical and sustainable engineering, construction and project management company based in Ireland.

The grand opening was attended by the charity’s ambassador, social media influencer and charity shop advocate ‘Charity Shop Girl’ – Jennifer Brady, who has a passion for sustainability and charity shopping.

Visitors and guests had the opportunity to have a look around the first of its kind charity store and shop the fantastic clothing, bric-a-brac, electricals and children’s clothing and toys on offer, as well see the locally sourced materials the store has been created with – wooden floors from an old church, second-hand doors, display units created with salvaged bricks, slip bricks and scaffold planks, old scaffolding pipes for rails, as well as the till made from steel mesh.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is changing the face of paediatric and neonatal care through the high-speed transfer of critically ill babies and children – flying them from local hospitals to specialist paediatric and neonatal treatment centres via the clinically designed helicopters which provide a flying intensive care unit for babies and children.

Officially opening the store on behalf of TCAA, ambassador Jen Brady said: “I was honoured to be able to open the ‘Store of the Future’ in West Bridgford and I urge the local community to come down to see the amazing transformation inside the store and grab a bargain.”

“The store brings a new style and vision to charity retail, giving everyone a more enjoyable shopping experience, without removing the essence of why we love charity shopping.

“The store has a brand-new donation station and by donating to the charity shops we are keeping the items out of landfill and in turn supporting a deserving charity with vital funds to keep saving little lives,” she expressed.

This is a unique and exciting opening in West Bridgford. The charity store will raise vital funds for the service to keep the helicopters flying.

“We are incredibly excited and honoured to share the opening of this unique Children’s Air Ambulance store with the West Bridgford community, and it was brilliant to see so many people attend today,” said TCAA’s Head of Retail, Hannah Coventry.

“The success of our store is vital as TCAA receives no government or National Lottery funding and relies solely on donations from the public and retail income to keep saving the lives of critically ill babies and children across the UK,” she added.

The charity’s donation station is open and makes it quick and easy for people to drop off donations.

To learn more, or to support the charity, please visit: www.childrensairambulance.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.

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Posted 11 months ago

Anita Roddick believed that businesses should offer a form of moral leadership, being a powerful force in society. She has paved the way for the next cohort of trailblazing women at the forefront of responsible, better businesses.

The future of modern retail is radically local, community-driven, and genuinely innovative. And Prior shop is all three.

At Prior, we consider ourselves a pretty ‘good’ business. But what does it mean to be ‘good’ in a rapidly changing retail landscape? 

Since we won the Good Retail Award: Community Prize last year, we’ve been doing a whole bunch of reflecting, and thought you might like a little insider perspective on what we’ve been up to, too. 

We’ve found novel solutions to problems. We’ve adapted our game-plan against all the odds. But one sentence has rang out amongst all the noise:

Through community we teach each other. 

I’ve attached a short press release for your perusal, and have written a little extract in this email body, too. Please do let me know if I can help at all with high-res cut-outs, or any further information. We’d love to get on your radar if at all poss – our founder Beck is very adept at public speaking including on the radio or in person, and would be thrilled for an online/phone/social media interview. She would love to have a chat with you about the waves we’re making in the retail landscape right now. 

The objective of Beck Prior has always been to have an impact that goes beyond the four walls of the shop. The creative community deserves real, practical support. Building connections between studios and customers is a way to spread prosperity and create real change in the corporate landscape of shopping malls. Bringing the work of 150 independent creatives into a retail space normally reserved for big brand names is a project that not only the creative community of Bristol deserves, but also one that feeds back into the whole British economy, supporting local creatives and providing outlets for their work to be celebrated.

Beck Prior has always wanted more than just to bring the work of Prior’s fantastic makers into the retail space – Beck supports makers in real ways such as running small business mentoring workshops (some free of charge), in running monthly pop-up ‘meet the maker’ markets to solidify connections between makers and customers, and pitch to national, and regional press on behalf of artists. Beck hosts multiple work experience students a year and allows local schools, colleges and universities to display artwork in Prior’s gallery. 

Prior’s project is one that blends many different approaches. Underlining all of it however is Beck’s true investment into fantastic ‘behind-the-scenes’ groundwork, taking care over their makers’ work, and a deep desire to go above and beyond the greyscale world of retail. A fluid interaction between customers, makers and the shop is what their aim is: a cyclical system in which everyone wins.

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Posted 11 months ago

The newly launched baby blanket by Their Future is the first of its kind, super soft-touch and uniquely designed to give your precious little one the ultimate protection, keeping them cosy and safe, while you have peace of mind.

Special technology used during the manufacturing process ensures that the blanket doesn’t release microfibres, and is created without the use of chemicals.

Their Future’s baby blanket has superior, permanent, antimicrobial properties, as the technology included in the fabric’s construction ensures that most envelope viruses are destroyed on contact.

The blanket doesn’t absorb moisture or any easily-made stains into the fabric, therefore preventing odours from developing. Any moisture is simply wicked away and dirt is easily released, allowing you to wash at lower temperatures.

Thanks to the innovative process adopted in its development it has a wonderfully sumptuous cotton-like soft touch, as well as being fully recyclable.

Available in a standard size (75cm x 100cm) and shape, the exceptionally unique blanket has been lovingly crafted with lightweight and breathable fabric, which ensures a gentle touch against baby’s delicate skin and is perfect for year-round use, even in those cooler Winter months. A natural stretch also makes it the perfect solution for swaddling and settling your young baby.

The blanket, which has been expertly created using a pioneering process using minimal water and aiming to minimise the impact on the environment, provides quality, cosiness, durability and protection, and with unparalleled recyclability. Once the blanket has reached the end of its working life, it can simply be returned for recycling where it can then be used to produce new yarn for new fabric.

In a plush ivory colour and with a simple, yet stylish design, the Their Future baby blanket perfectly complements any home or nursery and is a truly unmatched, must-have addition to any crib, cot or pram.

For each baby blanket sold, Their Future has pledged to donate one pound to Borne, helping the charity to fund ground-breaking research of the highest quality to advance knowledge of pregnancy and childbirth, and improve the lives of mothers and their babies.

RRP: £39.99

For more information and to purchase, visit the Their Future website.

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Posted 11 months ago

After a successful pilot year in 2023 as featured on the BBC, the Clean Planet Peninsula project is set to embark on an ambitious and visionary 3-year journey. Building on last year’s success, the Clean Planet Foundation invites 25 individuals to join an immersive training course this August 2024 in the UK.

 In 2025 and 2026, selected participants from this training group will travel with the project to the Arctic and Antarctic to undertake scientific research and further training. This opportunity is open to anyone* who can demonstrate a distinct interest/focus relating to microplastic or climate science and can show how undertaking research in the polar regions will help benefit the global understanding of these critical environmental issues, contributing to worldwide conservation efforts.

The Clean Planet Foundation are privileged to be collaborating once again with the distinguished UK polar explorer Antony Jinman, the 12th Briton who skied solo in both the North and South Poles and the UK Polar Network (UKPN), the charity that represents early career polar scientists within the UK, alongside other partners from academic institutions (and beyond) who will be announced soon.

The project organisers envision this program as a stepping stone, guiding future projects and ensuring a continued legacy of innovation in polar research and environmental conservation. 

The end goal of this project is to provide early-career scientists with practical fieldwork expeditions, enabling research studies to be undertaken in the polar regions- particularly linked to plastic pollution and the impact of climate change.

Multi-Year Program Summary:

Year 1: UK Field course (4th -9th August 2024)- Princetown within Dartmoor National Park, Devon

  • 25 Participants above 18 who want to acquire important fieldwork skills for research projects in remote areas including polar regions.
  • The course will cover critical field skills, including survival, food preparation, essential hygiene practices with a focus on menstruation, navigation, and more.

Year 2: Arctic Expedition (October 2025):

  • A shortlist of selected participants from Year 1 will have the opportunity to join an Arctic expedition in 2025, continuing their training in blending field skills and conducting scientific research in both marine and on land.

Year 3: Phase A – Norway/Finland (April 2026)

  • A further shortlist of selected participants from Year 2 will go on a High Skills training trip to acquire remote weather survival skills in addition to skills for acquiring scientific data under cold weather conditions.

Year 3: Phase B- Antarctica Voyage Expedition (Dec -2026):

  • The final shortlist of selected participants from the original 25 will become part of the crew for a voyage expedition to Antarctica, acquiring additional skills and conducting meaningful research on microplastics and climate research.

*WHO can apply?

The Clean Planet Peninsula project is looking for research students and early-career scientists from diverse backgrounds who have a project or are about to embark on research that requires fieldwork experience in remote areas including polar regions with research topics related to microplastics and their impact on the environment and climate.

Applicants should be above 18 years old, residents of the United Kingdom, and have a willingness to participate in all phases of the project from 2024 to 2027 to ensure research continuity. The project welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, and is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse learning environment. The project intends to keep at least 20% of places available for those who identify as coming from a low-income background. While participation in this program involves travelling to challenging regions, the organisers understand that individuals may have varying physical abilities. The primary concern is the safety and well-being of all participants. The organisers encourage all interested individuals to apply, regardless of their physical abilities. Applicants are asked to consider the physical demands of the course and expeditions, as they can be physically rigorous. However, the commitment to inclusivity means that the organisers are prepared to make reasonable accommodations to ensure that participants with disabilities can fully engage in the program.

If you have any concerns or specific needs related to physical fitness or mobility, please don’t hesitate to reach out to.

HOW can you apply?

Interested participants can apply by following the link to the Clean Planet Peninsula project. The application process will be open from February 20th until May 24th. The link is: https://www.cleanplanet.com/peninsula

Who is sponsoring the project?

The Clean Planet Foundation (CPF) is the lead sponsor of the Clean Planet Peninsula project. CPF is a not-for-profit organization committed to educating and taking action for the sustainable use of plastics and the reduction of carbon emissions. CPF believe in inclusivity and diversity and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. https://www.cleanplanet.com/foundation/
 

Who is responsible for the logistics?

CPF and course instructors are responsible for delivering the project and organising all necessary logistics for the trips. The project has received detailed feedback from the pilot year in 2023 and is confident in the ability to execute the project efficiently, making it a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants.

What does it cost and what am I expected to bring?

The project is run under sponsorship of the Clean Planet Foundation and all core project costs are covered by CPF. You will be required to cover the cost of transport within the UK (e.g. to get to Dartmoor in 2024), however, food, specialist equipment, and any future international travel will be covered by the project. You will be required to bring suitable clothing and footwear for outdoor activities in the UK, however, any polar-related activities will be covered. Those identifying as from a low-income background do have the opportunity to have their UK travel and outdoor clothing covered if they are unable to afford the project without this support.

Where can I learn more?

To learn more about the successful pilot year of the Clean Planet Peninsula project, please visit the link below: https://www.cleanplanet.com/peninsula

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Posted 11 months ago

Handmade sustainable homewares and accessories! Including bottle bags, dishcloths, soap savers, wash mitts, reusable teabags and more. All items are made using sustainably sourced natural materials, including packaging.

Website: https://eclostitches.etsy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eclo_stitches/