holidaycottages.co.uk partners with Plastic Free North Devon on Ocean Explorers program

We're thrilled that our flagship brand, holidaycottages.co.uk, is supporting Plastic Free North Devon as an 'Impact Maker' on its Protect Our Playground - Ocean Explorers education outreach project for 2021.  

Plastic Free North Devon (PFND) is a grassroots community organisation, which was created in August 2017 with an ambition to inspire North Devon residents, tourists and businesses to reduce their single-use plastic consumption and be more considerate in what they do with their waste. By connecting people with their natural surroundings through events, workshops and campaigns they hope to encourage a more informed and conscious relationship with the environment, to ensure residents and visitors alike want to protect what our very existence depends on. With our HQ and history firmly rooted in North Devon, we have met PFND on a number of occasions at events in the local area, and followed the group since its creation, which is why we’re so pleased to further offer our support this year.

The Ocean Explorers education programme is one of PFND’s most exciting yet and is multi-layered in its approach. It uses innovative, immersive virtual reality to ‘wow’ and connect our communities with what's on our doorstep, while also providing real-life experiences for 16 secondary school students to visit Lundy and experience the wildlife and landscape themselves. This is followed by a summer volunteering programme offering paid ambassador roles to provide meaningful employment and experience for those seeking a career in the environmental sector. Much of this work will be delivered through a series of community events in coastal areas of North Devon and Torridge over the coming spring/summer/autumn season. We're really looking forward to being a part of this project, and getting our local teams involved too.

Matthew Anderson-Retter, Director of Logistics & Sustainability at holidaycottages.co.uk, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Plastic Free North Devon this year. Our story began in North Devon over 30 years ago and supporting the local landscape is a real passion of ours. It’s fantastic to be able to support this local charity who are doing so much important work in the community. We’re looking forward to getting our teams engaged with events and volunteering at beach cleans alongside the Ocean Explorers project.

“This partnership forms part of the wider business sustainability road map, where we’re reviewing every facet of the way we work to pave the way for an environmentally conscious future. Educating our staff and owners is a massive part of this, and we’re grateful to have the support of, and be able to support, Plastic Free North Devon in this partnership.”

Claire Moodie from PFND commented: "We are so thrilled to have holidaycottages.co.uk as a supporter of one of our most exciting and important projects to date. Connecting more people with our environment is central to the cultural and societal shift needed to combat the environmental challenges we face globally, and we are proud to see them using their business to influence, educate and act on some of the issues we face.’’

To learn more about Plastic Free North Devon and the amazing work it does, visit the website here.