New Supporter: Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode and Hublot announce the first round of projects to be supported through the Memento Mori Tour charity partnership with Conservation Collective to tackle plastic pollution.

We are excited to announce that Devon Environment Foundation has been selected as one of seven projects to benefit from the Conservation Collective‘s new charity partnership with Depeche Mode for the band’s ‘Memento Mori’ world tour.

The projects, which all aim to tackle plastic pollution, are being funded via a collaboration between the British band and luxury watchmaker Hublot.

DEF is the only UK-based recipient of funding, and we will use it to support our flagship grantee, Till the Coast is Clear, a CIC that is striving to make the world a better place by recovering plastic pollution from hard-to-reach locations on the South Devon coast using recyclable motor vessels and a fleet of kayaks made from recycled fishing nets, crewed by volunteers.

The funds will enable Till the Coast is Clear to scale up its activities. Plans include developing the ability to recover more plastic pollution by increasing the number of kayaks, adding more collection points at remote coastal locations, and building more partnerships with local organisations and groups.

“This is going to make a huge difference to the next stage of our work and will ensure long-term positive impact on nature and the community, both in terms of awareness of the problems and solutions around plastic pollution, but also in improving accessibility and opportunity to get out to explore the incredible natural capital that surrounds us here in South Devon.

“We’ll be using some of the funding to trailer-mount our custom made whale sculpture – Whaley McWhale Face – which is dressed in plastic pollution recovered from the South Devon Coast including fishing nets, tyres, buoys, and single use plastic all washed up on our beautiful shores. Whaley will be available to be taken to events and locations to help raise awareness of the challenges plastics in the environment present and to help educate and inspire us all to adopt more nature conscious lifestyles.”

– Gary Jolliffe, Director, Till the Coast is Clear.

Plans also include a new initiative to introduce nature immersion experiences in the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary AONB, to help more people from different walks of life to take part in outdoor adventures. As well as utilizing the recycled kayaks, a 26 foot 1962 wooden motor cruiser is being converted into an electric vessel for use on the estuary.

“We’re very excited to have been included in the funding from Depeche Mode and Hublot. We are huge supporters of the brilliant and hugely impactful work of Till the Coast is Clear who are working so hard to ensure that our beautiful coastline and estuaries are protected for future generations.”
– Amanda Keetley, Executive Director, Devon Environment Foundation.

DEF specialises in identifying the most innovative or impactful nature-based solutions in Devon, providing them with vital kick-start or scale-up support. Since launching in 2020, DEF has awarded more than £630,000 of grants, enabling 48 brilliant grassroots projects to address the climate and nature emergencies.

According to the UN Environment Programme, every minute, the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our ocean. Approximately 7 billion of the 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic produced from 1950-2017 became plastic waste, ending up in landfills or dumped elsewhere.

Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being.


“We are overjoyed about our new partnership with Depeche Mode. Together we’re going to be funding and illuminating a series of extraordinary, scalable grassroots solutions to the curse of single use plastics across the regions in which we have established local Conservation Collective foundations.

“Whilst we can’t ultimately recycle our way out of the horror-show of single use plastics, we can change systems to reduce and eventually eliminate the flow of plastics that are choking nature everywhere. A plastic waste-free world is possible!”

– Ben Goldsmith, Founder and Chair of Conservation Collective.

 

DEF is hugely grateful for Depeche Mode and Hublot’s support!

To add your support to help fund more grassroots nature-based solutions in Devon, you can make a donation here or get in touch to support in other ways. 

Many thanks for making a difference to nature in Devon!

ALL SEVEN PROJECTS RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE PARTNERSHIP:

The funding received by Conservation Collective from the Depeche Mode & Hublot charity partnership will be channelled to member foundations, to support the following projects:

 

Plastic-free programmes: reducing the consumption of single-use and other plastic waste by engaging businesses, providing sustainable alternatives, and through campaigning and education.

 

Community-led waste management: diverting waste from landfill, upcycling, recycling and composting.

 

Clean-ups: giving nature a better chance of surviving by reducing the threat of plastic pollution within the marine environment

  • Lanka Environment Fund – Cleaner Seabeds (Sri Lanka): one of Sri Lanka’s first large-scale efforts through volunteer dive expeditions to remove marine litter (mostly fishing gear) from the reefs.
  • Devon Environment Foundation – Till the Coast is Clear (UK): Recovering plastic pollution from hard-to-reach locations on the South Devon coast using motor vessels and kayaks made from recycled fishing nets through a dedicated volunteer network.

 

Images courtesy of Till the Coast is Clear and Depeche Mode.