Ilfracombe Holiday Park Install Yellow Submarine Toy Library!
Ilfracombe Holiday Park signed up the Visitor Campaign earlier in the year and installing a Toy Library was the one of the first actions they have taken to bring environmental messaging to their customers. The aim of the toy libraries is to provide a resource for families to be part of a ‘circular economy’ when it comes to beach toys. Families can borrow beach toys for their holiday and then bring them back at the end of their stay.
This latest Toy Library is the sixth Plastic Free North Devon Toy Library to be installed across North Devon and will be used by the holiday park’s customers.
Anne-Marie Eveleigh, Operations Manager, Plastic Free North Devon, explains more:
“It is fantastic to get Ilfracombe Holiday Park on board with the Visitor Campaign. They are looking at ways to reduce their impact on the environment and installing the Toy Library is a great first step as it is providing a tool to help reduce the impact of plastic pollution and ensure that these toys do not become single use items. We are looking forward to seeing what further actions they take in the future.’
Ilfracombe Holiday Park Management said:
“Ilfracombe Holiday Park is proud to announce its collaboration with Plastic Free North Devon, on an exciting project aimed at promoting sustainability and reducing plastic pollution. As part of Plastic Free North Devon's Visitor Campaign, we have taken the initiative to install a bespoke, hand-built shed, which will serve as a Toy Library for our valued guests and the wider Ilfracombe community.
Our primary objective is to encourage families to participate in a circular economy, specifically with beach toys. Rather than purchasing buckets, spades, and polystyrene bodyboards for their holidays, only to be discarded on beaches, sent to landfill, or forgotten in cupboards, families can now borrow these items from the Toy Library during their stay and return them at the end, ready for another family to enjoy.
We are delighted to have partnered with Plastic Free North Devon on this initiative, and we extend our gratitude to Anne-Marie Eveleigh, Operations Manager at Plastic Free North Devon, for her guidance and expertise.
Ilfracombe Holiday Park is dedicated to implementing eco-friendly practices, supporting local initiatives, and providing exceptional experiences for our guests. Through partnerships like this, we strive to foster a more sustainable world for future generations.”
The toy libraries are just one way that Plastic Free North Devon’s Visitor Campaign seeks to harness the collective power of local businesses and community to educate and empower visitors to protect and care for the amazing nature right here on our doorstep. The campaign includes resources and ideas for businesses to use to inspire behavioral change, a newly released Sustainable Housekeeping Toolkit for cleaners, property managers and business owners, and a discount on the Protect our Playground sustainable wooden bellyboards for all Visitor Campaign sign ups. Visit www.plasticfreenorthdevon.org/plastic-free-holidays for more information.
And if you live further afield and would like to build your own shed, the original design by PFND Volunteer Andy Clee is available open source here:
https://plasticfreenorthdevon.org/blog/protect-our-playground-toy-library-launches-in-croyde.
Our sincerest thanks to North Devon Council for the original expansion of the Toy Library fleet through the Welcome Back Fund and to the Clee family for their hard work in designing and painting the artwork and installation.