The Value of Ally-ship

The Community Allies objective is crucial to the success of local Plastic Free Communities campaigns. It provides perfect opportunity to reach different audiences and connect with local groups and organisations, to spread the plastic free message far and wide and ensure the campaign is as inclusive as possible.

Allies can also offer valuable support, from providing event space and donations of kit, to broadening reach through their own networks, and helping you connect with all corners of the community.

Here are some examples of how communities have deepened impact and propelled their campaign forwards, to create a true sense of community and collaboration.

Working with organisations

The Cavalier Centre, a Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Centre in Shropshire is supporting the local Plastic Free Much Wenlock campaign and setting an example of how working with local groups can broaden your reach and help you to run an inclusive and successful campaign.

Jacky, Community Lead for PF Much Wenlock, explains the brilliant work that the Centre is doing to lead by example:

‘They reuse as much as possible to keep costs down. Masks are home-made and washed every night. Reusable gloves are washed every night too and the laminator is only used when essential. Plastic free lunches are encouraged, plastic wrapped biscuits discouraged, and although there is some plastic cutlery, it is washed and reused. There are plans to start a Community Garden and to use broken or split plastic buckets as plant pots, and the plastic horse feed sacks are repurposed and filled with organic horse manure, which is then sold. Even the non-slip tiles on the stable floors are made from 100% recycled plastic.’

Connecting with schools

Schools are valuable Community Allies as they represent the voice of their pupils, and our tried and tested Plastic Free Schools programme is a great way for local schools to give power to the pupils. It supports them as they work to reduce throwaway plastic in the school, but also challenge industry and government on plastic pollution.

Plastic Free Longridge work with four local schools, Longridge High, St Joseph’s Hurst Green, St Francis Hill Chapel and Whitechapel school, was pivotal to the success of their campaign. Pupils helped put pressure on the council by writing to them asking for their support, and the council listened and passed the Plastic Free Communities motion. They were also central to getting local businesses and organisations on board too. The pupil voice is a powerful one.

Community groups and associations

The groups, organisations and associations where we live are also a key ingredient to connecting with as many people as possible. James Daw of Plastic Free Dunfermline says chatting to Sid Akbar from Dunfermline Central Mosque was key.

James highlights the importance of finding the right person in the community who is willing to get involved and is proactive: ‘I was lucky right from the start that I found Sid, and Sid found me. Sid wanted to get involved and we are friends now. It makes a big difference finding the right person.’

James and Sid are now working together to spread the plastic free message in the wider Muslim community, and want to encourage other Plastic Free Communities to get in touch.

Community spaces and venues

The Creative Living Centre is one of Plastic Free Prestwich’s Community Allies. It provides a ‘person-centered holistic approach’ to people experiencing mental and/or emotional distress and show their support to Plastic Free Prestwich through operations, communications and events.

Daniel Weegman, Community Lead for Prestwich, says: “They already act to reduce single-use plastic, including using reusable cups, crockery and cutlery in their meeting rooms and community café and focus on upcycling projects rather than buying new materials for craft workshops. They partner with ‘Food Cycle’ to offer free meals every week, cooked with surplus produce from supermarkets which would otherwise be thrown away. They also use vegetables grown in their volunteer-led allotment, a zero-waste addition to the Centre’s cooking.”

The Creative Living Centre is also supporting another objective in Prestwich’s campaign by hosting an event or workshop, which goes to show the benefits of connecting with local Allies are endless.

Just one connection can be the catalyst for other actions to support the reach and impact of Plastic Free Communities, and unlock a whole new audience who want to take action on plastic pollution at source.

Find out more about Plastic Free Communities here  www.plasticfree.org.uk

Get an individual action plan here.

Find out more about SAS here.