Cefas giving back – throughout the year
15 December 2011
As the Christmas season is upon us the act of giving takes
centre stage.
Cefas' vision
is all about making a difference for society, and this year staff
at all levels have given their time, skills and personal monetary
contributions toward a variety of community projects, charities and
good causes.
The "Cefas Connects" scheme
encourages staff to share their time and skills for 1-2 days per
year, whether alone or in teams, to take part in community
activities or to support voluntary and aid organisations.
Activities particularly encouraged are those that:
- support people who work with or on the sea
- are linked to conservation
- help to communicate our science to wider audiences.
Commitments are largely fulfilled through the use of flexible
working options, and the more common examples include support as
school governors and work with the auxiliary coastguard.
Cefas' Head of External Communications, Anne McClarnon, said:
"Christmas may come once a year, but Cefas teams and individuals
have been happy to commit to giving for much longer periods. And
this year the range of activities has extended, from local
community projects to conservation work abroad."
The following list gives a flavour of some of the activities
undertaken in the past year:
-
Beach cleaning, in Suffolk and Dorset: Cefas staff
have supported the Marine Conservation Society's "Adopt a Beach"
scheme since 2008. The Suffolk annual statistics are impressive;
while our Weymouth-based team has also played their part,
collecting 194kg of rubbish over the course of six sessions.
- Crewing for local lifeboats, in
Suffolk and
Dorset: volunteers for the RNLI respond to a range of May
Day signals: from a damaged boat or fires onboard to people
overboard. One of the requirements of being a volunteer is that you
arrive within minutes of getting a call - quite a commitment.
-
Macmillan Cancer Support: Our long-standing support
was strengthened this year when our teams smashed their target for
the Centenary Business Challenge by nearly £2,360. Events ranged
from cakes sales, plant stalls, book and DVD exchanges, and the
World's Largest Coffee Morning, arguably the first time that such
an event was held on a working UK research vessel.
-
Broads Authority marsh management: The Locks Lane
Marsh, at Geldeston in Suffolk, is home to wildfowl such as snipe
and oystercatchers, plus a diverse range of birds and small
mammals. The Cefas team created two habitat mounds which will house
many insects and small mammals, helping to maintain this
habitat.
- Maldives Whale Shark
Research Programme: Our volunteers did scientific
research; raised awareness among local school children and
fishermen, to promote the conservation of whale sharks; and liaised
with the Maldivian Government over the establishment of Marine
Protected Areas specifically for whale sharks.
- Maintaining the
Mincarlo: The Cefas Senior Management Team
helped to polish and prepare this historic Lowestoft-built
sidewinder fishing trawler for its winter berth.
-
Mocrea Hospital exchange: Our volunteer lent practical
carpentry and general "handy man" skills to help the patients at
this Romanian mental health facility have a better quality of
life.
- Buxton
Heath Wildlife Group: Our volunteer lent practical
conservation support - cutting down small trees and scrub that are
continually threatening to overtake this habitat - and recorded the
wildlife at this site.
In addition, Cefas teams and individuals raised money for a
range of charities through sporting challenges (fun runs, bike
rides, marathons, etc), cake sales, raffles and general
collections. Funds were raised for Jeans for Genes, Movember, Children in Need, Wear it Pink and Comic Relief, as well as
local hospices, various medical conditions and other worthy
causes.
As Anne McClarnon says: "'Making a difference for society' is a
Cefas mantra that is more than just a Christmas commitment. It's
for the long haul."