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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.
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 Environment Agency is a public body. They are independent, but work closely with Government to get the best possible results for the environment.Although they work across England and Wales, they have regional offices working closely with other regional bodies to develop the right solutions for local environments. They also have area offices working with local authorities and others to tackle the immediate environmental issues in your area. Their work includes amongst other things restoring rivers and lakes, helping implement resource efficiency in businesses, looking after wildlife, flood protection and prosecuting environmental offenders and polluters.
The Countryside Council for Wales is the United Kingdom Government's wildlife conservation authority for Wales. It acts as a statutory advisory and prosecuting body, and aims to sustain natural beauty and wildlife and provide opportunities for outdoor enjoyment of the Welsh landscape and its inshore waters. CCW administers the various conservation designations, including a special one for Wales, the Special Landscape Area. About 70% of the Welsh coastline are Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The Countryside Council for Wales is supporting The Green Blue's research programme and also the development and implementation of the project in Wales.
The Environment Agency Wales is an Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB), while also being part of the corporate Environment Agency for England and Wales. As part of the Environment Agency - the most powerful environmental regulator in Europe - they benefit from the resources and expertise of the larger organisation. The Agency can tackle tasks that a smaller body could not, and can take a wide view of the environment across England and Wales, and beyond. Like the rest of the Agency, they have wide responsibilities for managing the environment and support The Green Blue project in Wales.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was established in 1992 through the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991. SNH is a Government body responsible to Scottish Government Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament.
The role of SNH is to look after the natural heritage, help people to enjoy and value it, and encourage people to use it sustainably. The SNH also helps to implement a number of national strategies, such as the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy which is seeks to reverse biodiversity loss in Scotland. SNH have provided grant support to enable the implementation of The Green Blue initiative in Scotland.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is Scotland’s environmental regulator and adviser and is responsible to the Scottish Parliament. SEPA’s role is to reduce pollution, promote the sustainable use of resources and protect and improve the quality of our land, air and water. SEPA have kindly provided essential support to The Green Blue initiative in Scotland.
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 in 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.
» 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 tha encouraging active responsibility for how we treat our seas and oceans is an important part of protecting our planet."
» 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”.
The Green Blue were pleased to announce Monty Halls as a new Ambassador at the London Boat Show 2007. TV Personality, explorer and marine biologist, Monty gave his support to the project did a presentation about his second series of 'Great Ocean Adventure'. he then joined Mike Golding in taking up 'The Green Blue Challenge' and accepted a Halyard bilge filter to fit in his boat used whilst diving.
A former Royal Marines Officer and trained marine biologist, Monty has led teams through some of the most demanding environments on land and at sea. His adventures include discovering pre-historic settlements amid great white sharks, avoiding the bullets of poachers, and photographing a dangerous and rare crocodile underwater for the first time.
