I've raised £200 to run the Eden half marathon in support of Plastic Free Coastlines Perranporth
Organised by Gee Whizz
Story
AT LEAST 8 MILLION TONNES OF PLASTIC ENTERS THE OCEAN EVERY YEAR...
Surfers Against Sewage have set up the Plastic Free Coastlines initiative to empower coastal communities to reduce the impact of one-use plastic on the seas and beaches. Perranporth has become the 5th PFC Community in the UK and this is already having a positive impact, with local businesses ditching plastic straws and residents taking part in regular beach cleans, as well as promoting the ReFILL Cornwall scheme. This aims to reduce marine based pollution by encouraging local businesses to set up as 'refill' stations, where people can fill up their reusable bottles with tap water for free, thus reducing single use plastic waste.
As a resident of Perranporth with a love of the ocean, I wanted to use my own fitness journey (a year ago I was nearly 5 stone heavier and could barely walk up a hill) to help raise awareness and funds for this very important campaign, so I have signed up to run the Eden Project half marathon in October 2018. I have a long way to go, but your support will be my motivation to train hard and get to the finish line! All money raised will go to PFC Perranporth, towards funding more ReFILL bottles in the first instance, and then as needed for promotional and practical activities.
A bit more on Plastic Free Coastlines from the SAS site:
"Inspired by the Fairtrade movement, together we’ll empower local councils, community organisations, educational institutions, restaurants, cafes and similar local amenities to stop providing the option of throwaway plastic items in their venues and provide alternative solutions instead.
We’ll raise awareness about the growing plastic pollution crisis and how we can all play our part in reducing society’s plastic footprint. Single-use plastic items such as plastic cutlery, coffee cups and plastic water bottles are just the start and we invite you to see just how far we can go together in our shared vision of Plastic Free Coastlines!"
Please do help if you can, Perranporth may only be a small town in the grand scheme of things but as a popular tourist destination it has the potential to reach a very broad audience - and this issue affects all of us, whether we live near the coast or not. Personally I feel duty bound by my young daughter to do what I can to stem the flow of plastic into our water and I hope this will help in some small way at least!
