UK-based marine-conservation charity the Reef-World Foundation, which administers the UN’s Green Fins diving eco-awareness programme, is celebrating a £335,000 windfall after being awarded advertising space to that value on giant outdoor digital screens around the UK.
What Reef-World regards as a “significant win” has come via the Drops In The Ocean environmental fund. Each year digital screen facilitator Ocean Outdoor donates 2% of its reported revenue to environmental charities as part of its sustainability mission.
Reef-World is one of three UK and three international initiatives chosen to share this free advertising space to build public support for their work.
The Drops In The Ocean initiative, which started as Oceans for Oceans in 2018 to combat single-use plastics, has since evolved into a wider fund supporting a variety of organisations associated with preservation of the planet.
Charities and causes that receive the free adspace have the opportunity to appear across some of the 8,631 digital out-of-home (DOOH) locations making up Ocean Outdoor’s network.
“Winning Drops In The Ocean signifies more than just an advertising opportunity for us at Reef-World,” explained executive director Chloe Harvey. “As a small but growing UK charity dedicated to marine conservation, it is a profound endorsement of our commitment to saving the reefs and safeguarding our oceans for future generations.
“This recognition will not only elevate our voice but also strengthen our drive to push for positive change.”
The Reef-World Foundation exists to promote smart use of natural resources, particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems, to benefit local communities, visitors and future generations.
Green Fins, the initiative it spearheads, was set up to protect coral reefs through eco-friendly guidelines designed to promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry around the world.
It does this by imposing what it says are the only internationally recognised environmental industry standards, using a “robust” assessment system to measure compliance.
Green Fins aims to offer diving and snorkelling operators practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices such as anchoring, fish-feeding and chemical pollution, while providing strategic training, support and resources.
Divers are encouraged to look for the Green Fins logo when booking dive-holiday trips – which could well be one of the messages on those giant digital billboards.
Also read: Green Fins completes first Indonesia Train the Trainer, Green Fins launches in Aqaba, Scuba Divers can now become environmentally certified through Green Fins, Reef-World announces Green Fins rebrand
