Environmental action and awareness group, North Coast World Earth is bringing its ‘pollution free’ message to a wider public as well as developing its sand and eco art initiatives, courtesy of a £1000 Power NI Brighter Communities funding package.
Set up in March 2020, North Coast World Earth has over 2000 members across the Causeway Coast and Glens regional council area and regularly teams up with environmentally focused organisations such as the National Trust to organise clean-up and coastal improvement campaigns.
The group’s Power NI grant is being used to assist with the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE), rakes to enable volunteers to create sand art, and general signage required for projects and campaigns.
North Coast World Earth aims to help both individuals and groups connect with their local environment and empower them to take action and make real visible changes which will benefit current and future generations of local people. It regularly organises beach art festivals and eco art campaigns and has recently launched a new APP – the first of its kind in the UK – to educate and inform as well as showcase all the great work carried out by volunteers.
Gavin Wallace, a founder of the volunteer community group says, “Our end goal is simple. We want to ensure that the areas we live in are pollution free. We encourage individuals, communities and groups across the North Coast region to raise awareness about pollution as well as taking action with litter-pick events and clean-up projects. Our Causeway coastline is stunning and we want to keep and indeed enhance it for both residents and the many visitors to the region throughout the year.
“Through education we seek to make real change and leave a lasting impact on the local environment. North Coast World Earth is currently working in the primary and post primary sector, as well as with local groups, to deliver beneficial programmes on the environment and its wildlife which dovetail with the school curriculum.
“We are also at the forefront of sand art in Northern Ireland and are striving to develop this artistic medium whilst sharing our expertise with the community and the wider public.”
Congratulating North Coast World Earth, Niamh Keeley, Power NI’s Marketing and Communications Manager said, “As so many more people are visiting our coastal areas and holidaying at home, it’s vital that we all look after our beaches and coasts for generations to come. The volunteer team at NCWE are doing an amazing job involving, inspiring and educating people of all ages and really driving home that ever important environmental message.”
Power NI first introduced the Brighter Communities initiative back in April 2018. Since then it has supported a huge range of bespoke groups and clubs from wheelchair basketball, beekeepers, vintage cyclists and young cheerleaders to street soccer, dragon racers, Early Years, environmental and stroke recovery groups.
