It’s so easy to step over someone else’s litter, isn’t it? We all know about the consequential and unrelenting rise in pollution, yet we’re all guilty of stepping over something knowingly. Turn The Tide describe themselves as a volunteer group who give up their free time every month to pick litter from the seven beaches in Portishead. They are so much more than that.
Turn the Tide is a symbol in the shift in mentality towards our habitual over-consumption. Not only do the efforts of this plucky volunteer group physically clean the beaches, and public spaces of Portishead, they also highlight our throw-away attitude. Social media has a fantastic network of environmental activists who advocate change, and I expect that I am somewhat preaching to the choir but Turn The Tide have positioned themselves as an integral part of the community in just a few years. They take it upon themselves to voluntarily educate children and adults actively encouraging them to participate and reduce marine pollution.
What I find so captivating is that their drive lies solely in making change happen – there is no sense of self inflation present in the group. They are volunteers with day jobs who dedicate their personal time, and money, to combat pollution in a North Somerset town – and are entirely self-funded.
Below is an ongoing photography essay of this passionate group. If you are local to Portishead, Clevedon, Portbury or Bristol them you may want to head over to their website to find out more about them and their upcoming events.
