It’s Plastic Free Month and as such a chance to raise awareness of charities working to reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans to keep them healthy for each of us and marine and shore life.

Surfers Against Sewage have a number of different ways you can get involved to reduce the plastic in our oceans, so please take a trip around their website and take a look at how you can get involved, even if it’s just to spread the word.

Earlier this year, they asked people to joined the #ReturnToOffender campaign to challenge big brands on the volume of plastic and packaging pollution found on beaches and other wild spaces.

They have now revealed the results for the worst plastic offenders and you can see who they are here.  12 big brands were responsible for over half of the UK's plastic and packaging pollution, with Coca Cola leading the way.  The "Dirty Dozen" also included Walkers Crisps, Lucozade Energy, Pepsi, KFC, Nestle, Costa Coffee, Cadbury UK, Red Bull, MacDonalds, Tesco and MarsGlobal. 

I’ve dived around their website tonight – here are some ways you can leap in and make a difference to life in our oceans.  

There are things you’d expect such as Join a Clean, Go Plastic Free, and Become a Member, but they also have a number of things you can do to put the pressure on:

1. Lead a plastic free community.  There are already 600 community leaders across the UK working to achieve plastic free status in their villages, towns and cities.
   
   
2. A call on the Government to #EndSewagePollution to end sewage pollution and guarantee safe-seas all year round.
   
   
3. Tell your MP to make a pledge to protect the ocean.
   
   
4. Organise a mass unwrap – this highlights the level of plastic packaging in supermarkets.  It puts pressure on them to change.   Shop and pay as normal then unwrap food to put straight into bags, boxes or re-usable containers.  Volunteers collect the plastic and put it into empty trollies to show how much waste is generated in a very short time.

Remember, you don’t have to live on the coast to make a difference.  Plastic is finding its way into the sea, our marine life and onto our beaches.

Let’s all be a voice for the ocean.

If you can't be with the one you love: send them a bear hug.

And Animals Asia gives you the chance to do just that, literally to send a bear hug to your loved ones!

Send a bear hug 
Give the bear sanctuaries with Animal Asia your support!
©Animals Asia

Animals Asia rescue bears who have been trapped by the dreadful bear bile industry.   Bears love hugs, just like we do – and so the bear sanctuaries Animals Asia have in China and Vietnam are really important to them. 

Today, I sent 5 people I love Bear Hugs!   It’s easy to do.

Send a bear hug today!

This bear is having a blissful time in the pool
Visit Animals Asia's You Tube Pages

When you send a bear hug, you can also help real bears by making a gift.   They are asking that, if you can, please make a donation of £5 for each hug you send – and then they can help real bears!   You can make a donation in £, $, Euros, Australian $ or Hong Kong $.

The Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS for short) has a Crowdfunder to help animals around the world during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

They are asking for donations through Crowdfunder….. make a donation and see how your money could help animals…

Recently, 50kg of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pain went to Italy, in response to an urgent request from local charities who needed help treating animals in their care in this pandemic hotspot.

Donate to the Worldwide Veterinary Service's Crowdfunder
and help send veterinary supplies to animals around the world

The WVS sends parcels to charities in need around the world and as such they are a lifeline.

• £3 can treat a cat with gastrointestinal worms
• £10 could buy ear cleaner to help prevent and treat infections in dogs  
• £30 can provide a wound care package for working donkeys
• £70 could allow 5 puppies to be tested for deadly parvovirus  
• £138 can purchase surgical clippers and blades to allow life-saving operations to take place
• £200 could allow the WVS to provide the surgical kit to safely spay cat

As a result of the current travel restrictions, it’s harder for the vet teams to directly support animals in places where veterinary resources are lacking.   But their global supply network is still in operation; so essential medical supplies can be sent to people looking after animals with very limited provisions. 

It is vital to keep these veterinary aid shipments moving.  Thanks to its supporters, in 2019 it sent 1,134 parcels of supplies worth £268,000 to 66 countries worldwide. 

In a usual month, WVS send nearly 100 parcels full of supplies to many charities working with limited provisions.  Aid parcels are sent to war zones and remote communities to end animal pain and suffering.

And the WVS runs three International Training Centres (ITCs) situated in India and Thailand. They give local aspiring veterinary professionals, along with those from overseas, the chance to develop practical surgery skills and learn best practice in animal welfare. 

So if you are able to, please contribute to this fundraiser.  It really will enable you to help animals elsewhere in the world whilst you’re in lockdown or wherever at home.

The Worldwide Veterinary Service provide free expert care to animals in need worldwide.  They send vets to where they are needed most, training them to increase the standard of care globally, and by sending urgent aid supplies around the world. 

Please donate to the WVS's Crowdfunder today

and help them help animals around the world