Case study, Community Allies, Community Cleans Posted — 20 April 2023
Changing lives through Plastic Free Communities
Reconnecting with nature through Plastic Free Eilean Siar is helping people become a force for good in their communities.
When Janet Marshall signed up to be the Plastic Free Community lead for Plastic Free Eilean Siar, it was to protect the coastline of the Outer Hebrides, and end coastal pollution around the islands. As the Founder of Clean Coast Outer Hebrides (CCOH) which works on the local PFC campaign, Janet has been connecting with Community Allies. The aim is to involve more people in tackling single use at source, as well as clean it up. She started working with her local Community Payback Officer in 2021, who’ve provided volunteers to attend beach cleans ever since. Janet says the collaboration’s been a big success all round, and says it’s even cut re-offending rates.
What is Community Payback?
Community Payback was previously known as Community Service. It’s an alternative to a prison sentence, where people do unpaid work that benefit the community. It can provide an opportunity to develop life and vocational skills, and help people make positive changes in their lives. Janet arranged a trial beach clean with the first group of people to come through the scheme. Despite some initial nervousness, once the group got down to the beach, Janet says something wonderful happened:
“They started to get stuck in, and discovered how satisfying it was to see the tangible good they were doing. Being part of a group and the camaraderie of the volunteers, made them feel included and appreciated. It was so useful for us as well, to have young strong people to help shift what can be very heavy pieces of marine litter.”
After the initial meeting was such a success, Janet and team have hosted people from the community payback scheme regularly. Some have come back again for multiple cleans. Others have stayed in touch, and have come on beach and glen cleans even after their community payback has ended.
For those who have had a difficult past, being included and praised makes such a difference to their self-esteem.
Janet Marshall
Janet and team plan to continue working with the scheme, and found it’s a great way to connect with Community Allies, boost volunteer numbers and be part of wider community work and change.
If you’d like to get involved with Plastic Free Communities and help free your area from single use plastics you can find your community here (link to map)
You can also:
- Download an Individual Action Plan
- Tell your school about Plastic Free Schools
- Sig up your business as a Plastic Free Champion
- Check out the five step community toolkit
- Start your own or find a Million Mile Clean near you
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