Life in the ocean wave with Friends of Glass

It’s life in the ocean wave this summer for lucky schoolchildren with the UK’s Ocean Conservation Trust thanks to the international Friends of Glass environmental programme ‘Ocean Squad’ - which has sold out.

Friends of Glass is driven by British Glass, the UK glass manufacturers’ organisation based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, to show children the benefits of glass as a natural packaging material which cannot damage the ocean.

The Trust is running a series of fun workshops dubbed the Ocean Squad in Plymouth Sound, setting for Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City, over the summer.

The lucky 11-15-year-olds on the programme will be out and out about on snorkelling safaris, learning to sail, cooking sustainable seafood meals, and conducting science experiments in the labs at the charity’s centre at the National Marine Aquarium.

Throughout a full week of activities, the Ocean Squadders will see for themselves why glass is the most ocean friendly packaging material and will create a conservation video for the Trust and Friends of Glass social media channels.

Meanwhile Friends of Glass is also backing the ‘Ocean Giants’ event throughout the summer at the Aquarium as visitors of all ages are encouraged to join in conversations on the benefits of recycling glass and celebrate some of the most enormous animals in the Ocean.

The three weeks of the Ocean Squad club have already sold out
Ocean Giant runs 24 July to 2 September – normal NMA admission charges apply

Helen Gowans, Public and Community Engagement Manager at the Ocean Conservation Trust said:

“We’re delighted to be working with British Glass to create an engaging Friends of Glass environmental programme that combines exciting ocean activities with informative sessions about ocean conservation issues.

“At the Ocean Conservation Trust, it is our aim to connect people with the ocean in ways that are meaningful to them, as well as showing them the things they can do in their own lives to help. So we’re pleased to have British Glass on board to help us to do this this year.”

British Glass also works with many thousands of schoolchildren across the UK to promote sustainability and glass recycling through the ‘Glass Guardians’ project.

Currently this provides schools with science, Maths, English and PSHE activities around recycling glass. This summer over 800 schools and 150,000 pupils registered for the programme for 5 to 11-year-olds.

For more information on this summer’s events, visit the National Marine Aquarium website.