Who are Sea Changers?
Have you ever thought about the impact of our actions on the marine environment? Sea-Changers is a charity doing incredible work to protect our oceans. From restoring habitats and species to raising public awareness and educating people about sustainable practices, their mission is to ensure everyone has access to clean beaches, healthy fish stocks, and safe places for swimming and diving.
At Sea-Changers, they collaborate with individuals, schools, and businesses to fund marine conservation projects. They receive donations from generous members of the public and corporate contributions from companies like Mike's Dive Store. Their funding policy focuses on supporting projects directly engaging with a particular cause.
Since 2015, Mike's Dive Store has partnered with Sea-Changers and donated nearly £19,000 to support Sea-Changers causes. As a leading diving retailer, we encouraging our customers to join in and make a difference by contributing donations with a percentage from every purchase going towards Sea Changers. We bring together our clients, so Sea Changers' success is our client's success.
What Projects Are Supported by You in 2023 and 2024?
During the autumn to winter season, The Sea Changers supported 37 successful projects across the British Isles. These projects aim to protect marine life, educate children and youth about the ocean and its inhabitants, and clean up coastal habitats. The total funds allocated to these projects amounted to just over £78,000, each receiving between £750 and £2,500.
The projects were spread across various locations, from Alderney in the Channel Islands and Newquay in the South-West of England to the Scottish Hebrides and Anglesey in the far West of Wales and the Isle of Man. In addition, Sea Changers' small grants fund, open all year round, supported 15 projects during 2023, with a total allocation of just over £7,000. So lets have a look what projects you and us supporting at the moment.
The Shark Trust Support
The Shark Trust has brought together 31 artists and creators from all over the world to create and donate artwork depicting 31 different types of oceanic sharks and rays. This project aims to raise awareness about these amazing creatures and highlight the need for conservation efforts in the open ocean. Sea-Changers are funding the exhibition tour, and it will travel around the UK from June 2023 until late 2024. The exhibition also supports the Big Shark Pledge campaign, encouraging people to join a community dedicated to protecting high-seas sharks.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
A group of animal rescuers in Cornwall, UK have received funding to develop new ways to safely rescue dolphins stuck in mud flats. These mud flats can be very dangerous and make it hard for rescuers to reach the animals. In 2023, the group helped rescue several dolphins stuck in mud flats but realized they needed better equipment and protocols to do it safely. They will develop and test new ways to rescue these animals in Cornwall, and if successful, these methods will be used across the whole UK.
Manx Wildlife Trust
They used money from Sea Changers to buy a special type of drone that uses heat to take pictures. They're using it to count the number of seals on different islands and see where they like to hang out throughout the year. Some parts of the coast are too hard to get to on foot, and boats are costly, so the drone helps them find all the seals without missing any. They're also using it to find out where birds like to nest and to map out the areas where underwater plants called seagrass grow. This helps the people studying wildlife to learn more about them without bothering or scaring the animals.
Turn the Tide Teignbridge CIC
Between March and May 2024, a project will be organized to help kids understand the importance of oceans and marine animals. The project will also raise awareness of how oceans play a role in climate change and support all life on Earth. During this project, kids will be encouraged to create their own art or media that expresses their thoughts and feelings about these issues. They might even make a promise to take action to help the oceans. In May 2024, a group called FabLab Exeter will lead up to 15 workshops to help kids create art. Then, the art created during the project will be displayed and available for all to see in June.
Pupil's Profit
This organization, called "Pupil's Profit", is working to help schools reduce plastic waste in coastal areas. They will fund up to 3 new schools to set up refill shops where students can sell eco-friendly household products to their school community, such as parents and staff. The products sold are better for the environment, especially oceans and waterways. The children running these shops will learn how to recycle and reuse products in their daily lives, which will help them understand how to take care of the environment. This project will focus on three coastal regions.
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is a charity that works to protect marine animals like whales and dolphins. They use a special research boat called Silurian to teach people about marine conservation. With a grant's help, they can take a floating classroom on their boat to visit schools in remote areas of Scotland. This will give children a chance to learn about the ocean and get excited about protecting it. The grant will also allow people from local communities to join in on open boat evenings. Overall, the goal is to inspire people to care about marine life and become advocates for the ocean.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust
One of the projects they are funding is being carried out by Cumbria Wildlife Trust. This project involves surveys of the marine life and coastal habitats along the Cumbrian Coast. The aim is to learn more about the different types of sea creatures and plants in this area and to help protect them from harm. Ultimately, this research will contribute to a better understanding of marine habitats in the UK and will help guide conservation efforts to preserve them for future generations.
The Alderney Wildlife Trust
The Alderney Wildlife Trust is surveying to collect information about the seawater around Alderney Island in the coming years. They will be using special equipment to sample the seawater with the help of people in the community who are interested. The chemical makeup of seawater is important because it affects the marine life that lives in it. By monitoring the seawater over a long period of time, they can learn about changes in the environment and how things like climate change may impact it. This survey is important because there isn't much information about the seawater around Alderney Island. The community's participation will help raise awareness about marine life and the environment. The information gathered will also be shared with others to help improve our understanding of the sea and its connection to our planet.
Other Grant Streams
Sea-Changers is a charity that provides funding for projects aimed at protecting the UK's coastal environment. They have two main grant programmes and partnerships with other organizations that enable them to fund more projects. This year, one of their partnerships with a company called Bunzl has allowed them to fund the installation of 9 new coastal water fountains around the UK. These fountains will help to improve access to clean drinking water for people visiting the coast. This is in addition to the 21 fountains that Sea-Changers had already helped to fund.
If you would like to make your own donation to Sea-Changers click here.
- Sea-Changers is a charity with the mission of raising thousands of pounds for marine conservation charities, primarily in the UK. Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1142119 and in Scotland No. SCO43922
- Sea-Changers seeks to achieve this through partnerships with commercial organisations that serve consumers who are accessing, enjoying or travelling via the sea.
- Any money raised for Sea-Changers is distributed, via a grants process, to a range of marine conservation projects and charities.
