Paddle Against Plastic
922. Cal Major
Cal Major, from Devon, is circumnavigating the coast of Great Britain on a paddle board as part of an innovative campaign to highlight the effects of plastic pollution in our seas.
During her 1000 mile route from Land’s End to John O’Groats, Cal will be collecting plastic waste and calling in at some of Britain’s best loved beaches to lead clean-up activities. Cal is the founder of ‘Paddle Against Plastic’ which creates stand up paddle boarding adventures in order to capture peoples’ imagination, highlight the issue of plastic pollution so close to home and propose simple solutions people can easily be a part of such as carrying a reusable water bottle to cut down on consumption of single-use plastics. In 2017 Cal became the first person to circle the Isle of Sky on a paddle board and was featured in a short film ‘Skye’s the Limit’ which documented her battle through discarded plastics to show that even remote areas are badly affected by this waste.
Cal is one of five volunteers receiving a Points of Light award to mark World Oceans Day on Friday 8 June, recognising their work to support ocean conservation:
For #WorldOceansWeek PM @Theresa_May recognised five outstanding volunteers who are saving our oceans with #PointsofLight Awards. Hear from some of them here. pic.twitter.com/PcEau5zpiD
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 10, 2018
In a personal letter to Cal, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“By paddling over 1,000 miles along the coastline of the UK while collecting litter and participating in beach clean-ups, you are highlighting the devastating impact plastic pollution is having on our environment. You should feel very proud of how ‘Paddle Against Plastic’ is bringing attention to the important issue of ocean conservation and capturing people’s imaginations with action they can easily take to play their part.”
Cal said:
“I’m so honoured to have been awarded the Prime Minister’s Point of Light award, especially on World Oceans Day, it really means so much to be recognised, and for my voluntary work to be recognised in this way. I’m currently stand-up paddleboarding a thousand miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats, unsupported, it’s a never been done before journey, to raise awareness of the plastic pollution the whole length of the UK. I’ve just spent 250 miles on the canals inland, and the plastic pollution problem there has never been more apparent. There’s so much more work still to be done, but there’s also so much positive stuff happening. It’s a problem we can all be part of the solution for, and all be proud really proud to be part of the solution for. So thank you so much for the award, it really means so much. Let’s all keep fighting the good fight and solve the problem of plastic pollution together.”
Geoffrey Cox QC, MP for Torridge and West Devon said:
“I would like to congratulate Cal for her innovative Paddle Against Plastic campaign, which has led to her receiving the Points of Light award for being an outstanding volunteer. Reusing and recycling plastics is critical, as without doing so we are set to reach a crisis, with plastic production reaching 34 billion tonnes by 2050, and the majority ending up in landfill or polluting the world’s continents and oceans. Volunteers like Cal make a huge difference in helping to raise awareness of this issue, and she is therefore extremely deserving of this award.”
