Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation is encouraging shark fans and divers to celebrate the oceans with friends and host a ‘big brew for the blue’ fundraising get-together on World Ocean’s Day (8 June) or during the week after.
The UK charity hopes the nationwide events will create an opportunity for individuals, clubs and groups to chat with others about their love for the oceans, their underwater experiences and prompt a conversation about conservation.
Graham Buckingham, campaign director for Bite-Back, said: “Big brew for the blue is a brilliant chance for the scuba community to have fun with friends, talk about a topic that’s close to their heart and raise some money at the same time. Best of all, who can say no to a cuppa and a slice of cake with mates.”
Already some supporters are planning to collect donations for hot drinks at work and others are enthusing about marine-themed cake and biscuit sales. In response, the charity has added great white and hammerhead cookie cutters to its online shop.
Graham said: “People’s fear of sharks has made fundraising for our work difficult, so we love the idea that this event will foster a greater admiration for the oceans, address some misconceptions about sharks, and encourage support for our campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products along with our brand new school’s programme.”
It’s simple to be part of the Big Brew For The Blue. Give friends plenty of notice, invite them over, bake (or buy) some treats and have fun. The charity suggests that some groups might enjoy organising a quiz, playing some of their best underwater clips or sharing some interesting facts about your favourite marine species as conversation-starters. There’s even the option of watching Bite-Back’s TEDx talk ‘The Terrifying Truth About Sharks’ on YouTube to kick start proceedings.
The last thing the charity asks is to tag Bite-Back in photos and transfer the money raised via its online donation page.
