A second year of core funding for this exemplary grassroots organisation. Plastic Free North Devon protects and improves the environment through community-led action: tackling plastic pollution head-on; facilitating sustainable behavioural change, and inspiring reconnection with nature.

In year one, DEF’s funding enabled PFND to pilot ideas, build impactful campaigns, and cover some core funding costs for the team.

Year two funding will enable PFND to continue to develop and evolve its impact. This grant will support:

• Education: Developing their core environmental education programme with key North Devon stakeholders
• Campaigning: Progressing key environmental campaigns such as ‘Single-use Cup Free Braunton’
• Beach Cleans: Setting up a third location for regular scheduled Cleanse and Clean days
• Tourist Outreach: Developing further elements to the successful  Visitor Campaign to expand its reach and effectiveness
• Community Engagement: Progressing their plan to provide community groups with sustainability support through an ambassador network, and offering sustainability advice for local events.

See mini impact update with images HERE.

See PFND in our video series, The Nature Restorers, HERE.

Photo credits: Images courtesy of Plastic Free North Devon.

Project Impact:

• After extensive research and development with multiple stakeholders and a student survey which was filled out by over 900 pupils, Plastic Free North Devon created a 2030 Sustainable Education Vision document and a Directory of Organisations to help make the vision a reality.
• The Community Clean programme has gone from strength to strength in 2024, with two mass clean ups and two PFND community clean series happening across North Devon.
• Plastic Free North Devon’s Day of Action saw cleans in 30 locations with six Businesses, six Schools and Nurseries and 10 Organisations on one day with 780 volunteers collecting 1,423.2 kg of waste.
• The Tarka Trail Clean up (aimed at businesses) involved 12 Businesses and Organisations and galvanised 100 volunteers to remove 650 Kilos of waste from 10.6 miles of the Tarka Trail.
• This made the totals for the Cleanse and Clean Project: 71 community cleans collected 3,518.85 kg’s of waste with 3,785 volunteer hours.
• The project has run a successful pilot of the Sustainable Community Group Project with two local Surf Life Saving Clubs.