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.
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).
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.”