Grants of up to £2500 available for coastal water fountains

Posted on 24 January 2023 by Christie McAlpine in Funding

Sea-Changers’ Coastal Fountain Fund 2023 is now open for applications. The fund, which began in 2020, is for organisations who want to install a water bottle refill fountain in a busy or environmentally important coastal location. Since the fund began, it has enabled 23 fountains to be installed across the UK.

The fund aims to tackle the increasing problem of plastic bottles left behind along the coasts as marine litter, which damage the marine environment and the species that call it home. It is anticipated that the provision of the water refill stations will significantly reduce the numbers of non-reusable plastic drinks bottles on our beaches.

The fund is sponsored by the specialist international distribution and services group, Bunzl plc, who are supporting this work as part of their response to the plastic challenge. Discarded plastic bottles remain widespread on UK beaches despite the rising awareness around the environmental impact of single-use plastic.

The fund will remain open for applications until the closing date 28th February 2023. Each applicant can bid for up to £2,500 to fund one fountain. They particularly welcome applications from Wales, Scotland, East Anglia and Northeast and Northwest England as these areas have been under-represented in previous years.

Full details on how to apply and the funding criteria can be found at https://www.sea-changers.org.uk/coastal-fountain-fund – along with help and advice on putting together a strong application.