Thriving Emily Business Honour – Thrive Ambassador Emily Stevenson – who’s hit the headlines in recent months with her Beach Guardian campaigns against plastic pollution on her native South West beaches – has been named amongst the region’s top business women in Business Cornwall magazine.
Through her tireless work to combat the scourge of plastic pollution and enhance local communities, magazine cover star Emily has made a huge difference to the lives of many people across Cornwall, a fact the magazine recognised in their highlighting of Emily’s campaigning.
Recently, Emily was also chosen by Keep Britain Tidy to be a #LitterHeroes ambassador in recognition of her outstanding contribution to her local environment.
Explaining the important connection between the local environment and mental wellbeing, Emily told the Keep Britain Tidy website: “There are so many benefits that are associated with litter picking, which are certainly not limited to nature. The impact on a person’s mental wellbeing is completely incomparable to all other outdoor activities.”
As a Thrive Ambassador and graduate of The Thrive Programme, Emily is well placed to help people she reaches through Beach Guardian by spreading a positive mental health message of empowerment and being in control of mental wellbeing.
“I was just talking about The Thrive Programme today when I was being interviewed for a documentary about women in conservation,” explained Emily. “I always use Thrive when discussing the link between mental wellbeing and beach cleaning. The benefits are endless from spending time out in the fresh air and caring for yourself and the natural environment, giving you such a great sense of self-worth and confidence.”
As Emily mentions, the links between activities that give people a sense of power and control over their immediate environment – such as tidying a local beach or maintaining green spaces – and mental wellbeing are well documented, so we’re incredibly proud of Emily’s important work in this area.
As part of The Thrive Programme’s partnership with Beach Guardian, we aim to empower members of the community to take charge of their mental health through outdoor activities and events. Our structured programmes – which involve mental health training and practical activities – have been hugely successful in both combating poor mental health and keeping the stunning Cornish coastline pristine.
This is especially important in Cornwall, which has one of the highest rates of depression in the country, yet also boasts large areas of pristine outdoor space.
If your local beach or community could use some help from Beach Guardian and The Thrive Programme’s highly effective approach to mental health, please get in touch with us today to find out how your organisation or community would benefit. Thriving Emily Business Honour
