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Beach Guardians

1159. Emily Stevenson

Emily Stevenson, from Cornwall, is an environmental campaigner and founder of ‘Beach Guardian’, an organisation supporting community-led remote beach clean-ups.

Emily Stevenson

A recent graduate in marine biology, she has established a partnership with car company ‘Nissan’, who have provided off-road vehicles to help people access remote areas of coastline and carry out clean up operations which would otherwise be hard to reach. Emily is also leading an on-going campaign to encourage crisp packet producers to reduce non-recyclable packaging, with ‘Walkers’ committing to making all their packaging biodegradable and recyclable by 2025.

Emily’s award coincides with the 2019 Great British Spring Clean, the country’s largest mass-action environmental campaign run by ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ (pictured below with fellow Points of Light litter heroes Nadia Sparkes, Rosanne Bostock, Dhruv Boruah and Jason Alexander).

Great British Spring Clean Points of Light Emily Stevenson, Nadia Sparkes, Rosanne Bostock, Dhruv Boruah and Jason Alexander

In a personal letter to Emily, Prime Minister Theresa May said:

“Your passion for marine biology has inspired hundreds of people to support ‘Beach Guardians’, helping with beach clean-ups across Cornwall and changing attitudes to plastics and non-recyclable crisp packets. Your innovative off-road vehicles partnership is also ensuring that some of the most remote beaches are being reached. You should be proud of what you have achieved and I wish you well as you continue your work.”

Emily said:

“Receiving the news that I would be a winner of this prestigious award is a conversation that I shall never forget. Not only to have been recognised for my personal volunteering efforts, but because I do this work, because it encompasses everything that inspires me and I am truly powered by this passion. Becoming a Point of Light winner has only motivated me all the more to continue my work with all and everything I have.”

The daily Points of Light award recognises outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community.

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