Plant + Paddle at Projekt Renewable
Sponsored by The Crown Estate, Plant + Paddle launched on August 12th at Alexandra Dock in Grimsby following a successful pilot session which took place on Friday, August 2nd.
Six children met at Projekt Renewable, where the Plant + Paddle delivery team took them through a guided paddleboarding and planting activity day. Supported by The Crown Estate, the concept was created to engage local children and actively encourage them to learn more about the world that the renewables sector relies on.
An educational and cultural hub, Projekt Renewable has been created to inspire the next generation of renewable energy experts through a ‘destination’ full of immersive experiences.
As a patron of Projekt Renewable, The Crown Estate has its own space at Alexandra Dock in Grimbsy, complete with a recently designed living wall, aimed at making nature and the marine environment more accessible, tangible and interesting for everyone in the community of Grimsby and beyond.
Plant + Paddle is the first programme of events sponsored by The Crown Estate at Projekt Renewable since its space opened earlier this year.
Chelsea Bradbury, Senior Marine Data & Insights Manager, The Crown Estate, said: “As manager of a diverse portfolio that includes urban centres, one of the largest rural holdings in the country and the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we are so pleased to be supporting Projekt Renewable Grimsby, and in particular, this latest initiative, Plant + Paddle, aimed at opening young hearts and minds to the wonder of nature and conservation on both land and sea.
“Across the nation, we’re building partnerships to help protect and revive nature, while also working to ensure onshore communities feel part of and benefit from all the amazing things happening in their offshore environment. Projekt Renewable is an important part of this commitment. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Rich and the rest of the team on this initiative and we’re very excited to see it rolled out over the next few weeks.”
Projekt Director, Richard Askam, commented: “Talk about Avengers Assemble… We are delighted to bring Plant + Paddle to the children of Grimsby and even more delighted to have such a talented bunch of people on board to deliver it! This is really what Projekt Renewable is here for, to let children discover things they didn’t know about marine conservation, biodiversity and renewable energy by getting their hands dirty and their feet wet!”
Paddle Power
Managing the on-water side of the sessions is Toni Buckle of Ebb + Flo Collective and James Elliott aka The Canoe River Cleaner.
Toni Buckle from Cleethorpes representing Ebb + Flo Collective, said: “As soon as Projekt Director, Richard, got in touch about Plant + Paddle it piqued my interest. But it was the team that was involved, as well as the well-documented benefits of activity and blue spaces on people’s well-being and more people being able to access these, that sealed the deal for me.
“Myself and the team behind Ebb+Flo Collective CIC had long recognised that there are certain barriers preventing many individuals from accessing the sea and its benefits - financial hardship, poverty, and physical disability to name a few. Breaking down these barriers is exactly why Ebb+Flo Collective was established.
“This project is so exciting! Grimsby is a very underutilised town in terms of activity and well-being, with so much beautiful wildlife to connect to and explore. It’s an area with so much potential and hopefully, this will be the start of real change that inspires and broadens the horizon of everyone involved. It only takes a small seed for something beautiful to bloom and I hope the project lives up to this.”
James Elliott, The Canoe River Cleaner, added: “You may have seen me on my travels, cleaning our river, and leading nature-based activities to shine a positive light on the beautiful watercourse that snakes its way through our town.
“After recording a recent episode for the latest series of The Podkast, I found myself part of their upcoming Plant + Paddle project which almost sums up my dream day out! Canoeing along our river, teaching children about wildlife, and then increasing biodiversity by planting correct plants along the riverbank. There's lots of good people about, I'm really proud to be working with some of them.”
Planting A Seed
Back on dry land, and with big thanks to Crowders of Horncastle who supplied all the planting materials and foliage at cost, it was over to Hannah Woods. Coming to Plant + Paddle from Sandringham Estate having recently moved to Lincolnshire, in her role as a Learning and Engagement Coordinator Hannah has been delivering workshops and forest school sessions to those visiting the Royal Estate. With a unique approach to learning all about our natural world, together with her husband, Martin, the former Head Gardener at Sandringham Estate, Hannah brings a wealth of experience to the team.
“I am incredibly excited to be involved with Plant + Paddle sessions with Projekt Renewable, giving children different and interesting opportunities that they might not normally get,” said Hannah. “As a qualified teacher, I know the real importance of outdoor learning which deepens nature connection and supports mental health, boosting confidence, self-esteem and improving social skills, which is what I know the Plant + Paddle event will do for the children who participate in this wonderful series of sessions.”
When it comes to onsite session management, hosting and bookings, the Projekt team is thrilled to be working with Joanne Lord, founder and CEO of Target NEL CIC (Taking Action Raising Grimsby’s Emerging Talents). Having teamed up with Joanne during the Festival of the Sea earlier this year, her positive impact is already being felt across the activity taking place at Projekt. Joanne explains how she came to be involved.
“After speaking with Richard at Projekt, it became clear that we share the same vision for our young people: to raise awareness about the future of renewable energy within our community and to connect this knowledge to their career aspirations,” said Joanne. “My work focuses on developing programs and projects that put children at the forefront, helping them see how their current interests can evolve into transferable skills for a career in this growing industry.
“When I was invited to collaborate with Projekt on the Plant + Paddle, I knew right away that I wanted to be involved. Plant + Paddle offers an exciting opportunity to introduce children and young people to activities they might not typically have access to, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.
“New projects such as this one are exciting for both us as a growing collaborative team as well as the community. The Projekt initiative helps to build strong, positive relationships with local residents while promoting the long-term goals of promoting sustainability and renewable energy opportunities locally. For the community, projects like Plant + Paddle offer children and young people access to experiences they might not otherwise have, encouraging them to explore new interests. These activities can spark curiosity, foster a sense of adventure, and develop critical life skills such as teamwork, resilience, and environmental stewardship.
“By blending hands-on activities with education, we hope to show young people that the future of energy can be both exciting and accessible, opening their eyes to the possibilities that lie ahead.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about Plant + Paddle, would like to support or sponsor the programme of events at Projekt Renewable, or would simply like more information about how your children can take part, please get in touch with the Projekt team at info@projektrenewable.com or Joanne Lord at jlord@tragetgy.co.uk