Our Team
Our steering group is a team of enthusiastic volunteers each with our individual expertise and interests.
Jill
I moved to Exmouth in late 2020 and knew absolutely no one. On my daily walks along the beach, I noticed not only the litter on the beach, but the bits of rubbish, mainly plastic, that the sea deposited on the sand.
I joined Plastic Free Exmouth beach cleans on a Sunday morning, initially to meet like-minded people who wanted to help our beautiful town, but also to increase my knowledge about the sea, the environment and why there is so much rubbish discarded.
I want to make a difference and there's no better place to start than Exmouth.
Debbie
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues of our time, it is entirely our fault, entirely avoidable, and tackling it also tackles, in tandem, the issues of climate change and biodiversity loss.
In a time where the scale of the environmental challenge is overwhelming, PFE offers an opportunity to do something practical and tangible, that has visible benefits.
I studied Marine Biology at University and after 6 months volunteering on a reef conservation project in Fiji, I found my dream job in marine conservation - landlocked in Oxford!
10 years later I started to get involved in plastic pollution research, and have found my passion.
I’ve now published three papers on the subject and even had an article in the Guardian about my work!
Richard
I have been President of Budleigh Salterton Lions Club from July 2020 until January 2024.
The environment is one of Lions Clubs International global causes.
My environmental aims are to:
- Involve more people in Lions’ environmental activities in a sustainable way and inspire them to make a difference raise awareness of the importance of protecting our environment
- Help to protect nature and habitats by helping to clear up local areas and preventing harmful litter going into the rivers and the sea
- Highlight the potential damaging effects on wildlife of plastic and other harmful litter
- Raise the profile of Lions and serve our community. I believe we can all make a difference and reduce plastic pollution.
Being part of Plastic Free Exmouth and joining in with the weekly beach cleans helps to reduce single-use plastic and the amount of plastic and other litter entering the sea.
Steve
I was born and brought up in Exeter so have many happy memories of time spent on Exmouth beach in the 1970/80s.
After many years living and working around the world and UK, in 2022 I moved back down to East Devon and settled in Exmouth.
Enjoying walking and the fresh air and keen to put something back into the community the weekly Sunday morning beach cleans were the perfect opportunity to do just that and meet new people at the same time.
I am now an enthusiastic advocate of every little bit we do helps our environment.
Val
I'm passionate about keeping Exmouth and our beautiful beach clean.
Julie
I'm Julie and I have lived in Exmouth for 3 years, having moved from the Midlands.
I love being by the sea and enjoy being part of Plastic Free Exmouth beach clean.
It can be addictive though and I can never go for a walk now without picking up litter!
Tabitha
Aileen
I've lived in Exmouth for over 20 years and have come to appreciate our beautiful beach more and more over the years.
Having taken a greater interest in environmental issues more recently, and after watching Seaspiracy, I have begun to understand how damaging plastics are to our marine life - and how our beaches are polluted with commercial fishing waste and litter that is at best unsightly and at worst dangerous for both marine life and beach goers.
