Local children will collect, sort and recycle ocean plastics during healthy activities like kayaking, sea swimming and stand up paddle boarding at The Sea Sports Centre, located at Sunny Sands in Folkestone. During these enrichment activities Big Blue Foundation Volunteers will teach the children about the Circular Economy how we can all 'close the loop' on waste plastic. We also aim to to mitigate so-called 'eco-anxiety' that children are reportedly suffering from by showing them how they can each make a positive difference to the world by taking steps to improve their environment. The children will be shown how to recycle the plastics they collect to make new recyclable products. They will be able to enjoy a fleet of new kayaks, made from 100% ocean plastics, that the project will donate to the Sea Sports Centre for the children to use whilst on the water collecting waste plastic.

What we'll deliver:

• Help to alleviate eco-anxiety in children by empowering them to take positive action for change
• Purchase a fleet of 10 recycled kayaks to donate to Folkestone Sea Sports Centre
• Purchase a plastics shredder machine that the children can use
• Create opportunities for two Volunteers to run the project

Why it's a great idea:

Folkestone Sea Sports Centre hosts approximately 1,550 children per annum. Our project will enhance the overall enrichment experience that those children have by adding a conservation education experience. Our water and land-based conservation activities will help to alleviate eco-anxiety in children by empowering them to take positive action that benefits the environment whilst improving their physical and mental well-being. Suitably trained Volunteers will gain valuable experience working with children, learn about working in the field of conservation and develop skills that they will use in their future careers. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to put themselves forward to deliver future Big Blue Foundation and Sports Trust activities. Our organisation will benefit from collaborating with a renowned local charity and by working with social enterprises and businesses that are enabling us to investigate new sustainable income streams to support our activities.

Steps to get it done:

• Purchasing 10 new kayaks made from recycled ocean plastics
• Purchasing the plastics shredding machine for the children to use
• Reaching more than 1,500 children to increase their knowledge about the circular economy and recycling
• Reducing eco-anxiety in children. Analysing feedback from 'before and after' questionnaires to gauge the success rate

The Sports Trust, the charity that operates the Folkestone Sea Sports Centre, is represented on our Board and there is a clear synergy between the two charities, with an aspiration to improve education and knowledge about conservation and our environment in the children and young people of Folkestone. Our Scientific Director Melissa Scheile is an ocean plastics and marine conservation specialist. She is developing educational conservation activities to be delivered in schools and is perfectly placed to help design engaging and impactful conservation projects. We also collaborate with social enterprise Waterhaul.co based in Cornwall. They manufacture 100% recyclable reading glasses and sunglasses from marine plastics. We can send them some of the plastics that the children collect locally during this project to be incorporated into their products, providing another way to demonstrate 'closing the loop' on waste plastics to the children .