The British Marine Federation is the trade association for the marine leisure industries representing the interests of boat builders, marine equipment manufacturers, marina operators, hire and charter companies and chandleries. Membership runs to over 1500 membership companies throughout the UK, both inland and coastal locations. BMF represents the interests of member companies to both National Government and in Europe.
The Royal Yachting Association is the national body for all forms of recreational and competitive boating. It represents dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sports boats, powerboat racing, windsurfing, inland cruising and personal watercraft. Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 100,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters. There are an estimated further 500,000 boat owners nationally who are members of RYA affiliated clubs and class associations.
The project is part funded by Defra under the Environmental Action Fund (EAF). The EAF helps voluntary and community sector groups to further the Government's sustainable development objectives within England. In 2005-2008 priority is given to projects that contribute to the sustainable consumption agenda identified in the Government's Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Framework. Grants awarded to groups range from £25,000 to £250,000 per year (£75,000 and £750,000 over the three year grant period.) In this current round all projects are focused on changing people's behaviours: finding ways of making sustainable living attractive to consumers, and sustainable processes attractive to producers.
Established in the 1970s, Marina Developments Limited (MDL) is Europe’s largest marina group. MDL’s first site was on the River Thames but it has grown to own and operate 18 major marinas and boatyards, managing over 6,000 berths. Staff numbers now stand at over 300 employees.
MDL has played a central role in the development of the modern-day marina, with easy-to-access pontoon berths and high-quality onshore facilities.
Developments produced by MDL
include residential, retail, office and leisure
such as restaurants as well as core marina facilities including car parking.
MDL is supporting the Green Blue through direct sponsorship and provision of a demonstration project.
Established in 1999, The Crown Estate's Marine Stewardship Fund has already distributed over £1 million to a wide range of practical projects around the coast. The fund was established to provide grant-aid to practical projects and programmes which contribute to the development of best practice, and make a significant contribution to the environmental management and stewardship of the marine estate. The Crown Estate owns around 55% of the foreshore (between mean high and mean low water) and approximately half of the beds of estuarial areas and tidal rivers in the United Kingdom. It also owns the seabed out to the 12 mile territorial limit. The Crown Estate is supporting The Green Blue by providing both core funding and and funding for the Regions.
The Green Blue is delighted to have support from the following individuals:
Mike Golding is the first person ever to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions. He is one of the world’s leading sailors and has now sailed around the world 6 times – 4 times solo. He is renowned for his fearlessness and tenacity.
A former fireman, Golding’s first professional success came in the 1990s with Challenge. In 1993-94, he completed his first non-stop solo circumnavigation 'the wrong way', beating Blyth's own record by 125 days.
Since then, he has completed numerous transatlantic races, regularly finishing with a podium place. He has completed three further solo circumnavigations, in the Around Alone and two Vendee Globes, the world’s most extreme yacht race, finishing 3rd in 2004.
Other recent successes include winning the 2004 Transat in the IMOCA Open 60 Class, shaving 2 days off the record for single-handed passage east to west across the North Atlantic. Mike has also competed successfully in the Atlantic Alone, Transat Jaques Vabre, EDS Atlantic Challenge, Rolex Fastnet, Calais Around Britain, the infamous Route du Rhum and the Defi Atlantique.
Married with a son, Mike Golding is a firm believer in the need to protect our future environment. This is also reflected in his extremely successful partnership with sponsor Ecover. He was delighted to become a Project Ambassador for The Green Blue, and supports our aims to embed a degree of environmental awareness in all yachtsmen and boaters.
Click here for the latest news about Mike Golding Yacht Racing
"Pippa Blake is a renowned artist and has held several solo exhibitions in UK and New Zealand and has exhibited widely in group shows. She is a Trustee of the Sir Peter Blake Trust, which has been established in New Zealand with the full backing of the NZ Government. The Trust’s role is to encourage young people to make a positive difference for the planet, through activities that encourage environmental awareness and action, and leadership development.
Pippa has two children, both of whom have grown up alongside sailing. James Blake is looking to pursue Marine Studies at university, and has also lent his support to The Green Blue.
Both Pippa and James feel that respect for the environment should go hand in hand with yachting and watersports, and thatencouraging active responsibility for how we treat our seas and oceans is an important part of protecting our planet."
Click here for more information on the Sir Peter Blake Trust
Philippa Forrester agreed to become an Ambassador for The Green Blue after embarking on her first ever sailing holiday with her family, as part of ITV’s London Boat Show coverage. She is well qualified to take up this position, as she has a first class honours degree in Ecology and Conservation and spent over 12 months working on a river while producing the BBC Natural World documentary My Halcyon River, alongside husband Charlie Hamilton James. Philippa also wrote The River, a book to accompany the documentary.
Philippa’s role will be to encourage recreational boaters and watersports enthusiasts to take more care of the environment. She will have a particular role to champion on environmental issues on the inland waterways.
She said “Wildlife and inland waterways are a huge part of my life and I wanted to offer my help to encourage boaters to become more aware of their boating environment and appreciate the wildlife around them. We have spent many years working with and filming wild otters, which have returned to our inland water over the past few years – a great sign, but we must do every we can to ensure their future and the future of all river wildlife”.
