MONTY HALLS ACCEPTS JACK PETCHEY CHEQUE FOR CCC
Added to website: 11 March 2008
PRESS RELEASE
Monty Halls dives to accept £41,000, giving young Londoners the chance to help save coral reefs!
Monty Halls got his dive kit on to accept a giant cheque for £41,000 on behalf of the Coral Cay Conservation Trust to enable young Londoners to get involved in coral reef conservation, all thanks to The Jack Petchey Foundation. The handover took place at the London International Dive Show (LIDS) on Saturday 8th March in the try-dive pool.
Monty Halls, CCC Patron, explorer and TV celebrity, ‘buddied-up’ for a scuba-dive with Geoff Russell-Jones from the Jack Petchey Foundation (JPF) and Pete Raines, Founder of Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) and to the great delight of the crowd, completed the submerged handover of a giant laminated cheque in the name of reef conservation!
This year is the International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2008) and London-based CCC is proud to use this grant to benefit underprivileged young Londoners through their ‘2008 Coral Reef Conservation Scholarship Programme’. The initiative has three phases. The first aims to reach over 500 sixth-form pupils around London and Essex through coral conservation workshops. The second phase is a two day ‘Expedition Skills Event’ in April where 50 successful applicants will test their talents to complete team leadership activities and have a go at scuba diving. And finally, the most exciting phase will award the best 20 ‘budding conservationists’ the opportunity of a lifetime and travel to the Tropics to take part in a real marine conservation expedition!
Geoff Russell-Jones, JPF’s Grants Officer, said: “It is extremely important that young people learn the value of conservation – particularly with regard to the coral reefs that provide a defence for many shores and which are home to a vast array of plant and animal life.”
CCC’s Pete Raines MBE, said: “We are delighted with the ongoing support we have received from JPF, which allows us to continue to educate and involve young people with the vitally important coral reef conservation issues.”
The 2008 programme is being given a helping hand from many others in the UK wishing to take an active part, including: Project AWARE, Blue Ventures, Tony Backhurst Scuba, Andark, Key Travel and many more.
Andark have agreed to lend their expertise and complete facilities for the expedition course, where a large group of 50 young scholars will participate in an inductory PADI ‘Try Dive’.
Blue Venture and CCC are working together to highlight the value and importance of coral reefs and the threats to their sustainability by running presentations throughout London as well as collaborating with us on our ‘Expedition Skills Event’.
Key Travel is delighted to be working with Coral Cay Conservation, a company that shares our Environmental values.
Northern Diver have offered their support through kindly donating the wetsuits for this launch.
Project Aware has assisted CCC by generiously providing each of the pupils selected to go on the expedition with all the necessary training material they need to become PADI Divers and Emergency First Responders.
Tony Backhurst Scuba Travel are lending substantial support through negotiating suitable board and location for the beneficiaries of the JPF CCC collaboration in the UK, Red Sea and other destinations.
-Ends-
Monty Halls has become one of Britain’s best-known divers after leading expeditions to many of the more notable underwater locations. Now the maker of the Great Ocean Adventures TV series on Channel 5 and ‘Swimming with Giants’ film, plans to launch his ‘Ocean Challenge Expeditions’ venture. Under Monty’s leadership, this research vessel will circle the world for the next 10 years visiting the pick of Dive locations. The expedition teams will be made up of divers who sign up to work under the expert guidance of scientists, conservation groups and film-makers. www.montyhalls.co.uk
For further information:
Cat Duval
PR & Communications Manager
020 7921 0463
cd@coralcay.org
CCC Office: 020 7620 1411
Chris Rogers
Redleaf – Representing JPF
0207 822 0200
cr@redleafpr.com
Coral Cay Conservation Trust: Coral Cay Conservation takes groups of volunteers with mixed ages and backgrounds to tropical countries where they undergo full training to dive and carry out marine conservation surveys. Volunteers play a vital part in collecting data and participating in community work that aims to empower the local community to preserve and manage the reefs sustainably into the future. Through the protection, restoration and management of coral reefs CCC aims to sustain livelihoods and alleviate the poverty of coastal communities across the world.
Taking a ‘biosphere approach’ CCC also undertakes work on endangered tropical forests on the same basis. Volunteers undertaking these projects are exposed to an often life-changing experience. They gain confidence, build self esteem, widen their horizons, raise their sights for achievement in later life and also, through contact with poor communities, learn something of both the common afflictions and joys of life around the globe and experience different cultures. www.coralcay.org
Jack Petchey Foundation: The successful East London entrepreneur, Jack Petchey OBE, established The Jack Petchey Foundation in 1999. It is a young, progressive grant-making trust based in Ilford, Essex and it is now among the largest charitable organisations in London, focussing on projects, which benefit 11-25 year olds. The main area of operation is the London boroughs and Essex, where it currently operates in 1600 secondary schools and youth clubs.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Jack Petchey is among the country’s top 12 most generous givers. Mr Petchey is a self-made millionaire who set up the Foundation in order to find worthy children’s causes to which he could donate his millions. The grant budget for 2008 is over £20 million, with over £60 million having been given since it was founded. www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk.
Tony Backhurst Scuba Travel has been operating since 1994. What started off as a small business run from the back of a dive shop has grown to become a market leader in scuba holidays. All our staff are experienced dive instructors or dive enthusiasts with a huge knowledge and a great passion for diving. Operating award winning liveaboards in the Red Sea as well as liveaboards in the Maldives, Sudan and Djibouti, we endeavour to make the holiday hassle free with a twist of luxury. www.scuba.co.uk
Andark Diving and Watersports Centre is a PADI 5* Instructor Development Centre with more than 30 years experience, that offer a full range of courses including Snorkelling and Discover Scuba to Instructor. In fact Andark have successfully certify more divers than anyone else in the UK! At the site in Southampton there is an indoor heated pool and classrooms, fully stocked retail shop selling an extensive range of dive kit, water sports equipment & clothing. www.andark.co.uk
Northern Diver are the tier one suppliers to the UK Ministry of Defence and are first choice to commercial and recreational divers throughout the world.
Blue Venture is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to marine conservation, education and sustainable development in coastal communities within developing nations. Through marine expeditions, volunteers from around the world go on career breaks, student gap years and internships, where they work closely with our field research team, and in partnership with local communities. www.blueventures.org
Project Aware Foundation has been set up to conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. The foundation works in partnership with divers and water enthusiasts to combat challenges facing underwater environments. The volunteers are involved in hands-on environmental activities like International Cleanup Day and The International Whale Shark Project amongst other things. www.projectaware.org
Key Travel has almost 30 years experience in the non-profit sector, arranging travel for like-minded organisations and with a foundation built on sound environmental and ethical policies; they have become a respected and revered company in the Travel Industry. www.keytravel.co.uk
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