Marine and Green Community Charter

Designed by Digital Artist and Graphic Designer, who is also Creative Director for SCCH, Tara Greifenberg, the artwork presents the Marine and Green Community Charter—a visual collation of community pledges gathered from Sea Fest 2026 and the Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub (SCCH) online survey as part of the National Lottery-funded Marine and Green project.

Set against a gridded turquoise-to-lime green gradient background, the 6m x 3m billboard artwork blends graphic illustration, photo-collage, and handwritten mind-map diagrams:

• The Two Guardian Figures: Anchoring the composition on the lower left and lower right are two stylised human figures representing the duality of the environment.
  • On the left stands the Marine Guardian, decked in oceanic hues of deep blue, featuring a headdress of sea corals, tendrils, and marine elements. Reflective mirrored sunglasses frame coastal imagery, including a surfer and a sailboat.
  • On the right stands the Green Guardian, wearing foliage, leaves, and a rabbit perched atop a crown of greenery. Reflective glasses showcase scenes of people enjoying outdoors and lush landscapes.

• Three Core Charter themes branch outwards across the composition through hand-drawn bubbles organising the charter’s main action headings and direct community pledges:

1. OUR WATERS & SEA (Marine): Encompasses sub-headings for Litter Free Beaches (e.g., "Always pick up litter, never walk past plastic", "Join a beach clean when you can"), Clean Drains Safe Oceans (e.g., "Only flush the 3 Ps: Poo, Pee, Paper", "Keep chemicals out of sinks & drains"), and Safe Rivers for Wildlife (e.g., "Keep pets out of streams straight after medical treatments").
2. EVERYDAY GREEN LIVING: The central trunk branching into Eat Greener ("Eat more homegrown", "Enjoy more local, seasonal, plant-based"), Save Energy ("Switch off lights", "Shorter showers", "Lower power usage"), Choose Wisely ("Buy second-hand", "Reduce single-use plastic", "Consume less, create more"), and Travel Kindly ("Walk, cycle, catch the bus", "Leave the car behind").
3. OUR LAND & NATURE (Green): Encompasses sub-headings for Healthy Places for Life ("Create spaces for animals to rest, nest & recover safely", "Accept untidy wild zones"), Wildlife & Bug Welcome ("Plant local trees", "Grow native flowers", "Create insect hotels"), and Chemical Free Gardens ("Ditch toxic pesticides & weedkillers", "Safeguard the soil & visiting creatures").

• Poetic Micro-Pledges: Dotted around the collage panels are single-word intentions, including replenish, defend, balance, nurture, resilience, respect, cherish, and protect.

The project is delivered by Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub (SCCH) in partnership with Sidmouth School of Art, supported by funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.  They have been working for many years through a variety of community projects including their annual festival Sidmouth Sea Fest, to achieve their vision which is shaped by the town's location and the themes that resonate in Sidmouth, to connect and engage people with the sea and coast in ways that value people and where we live.

SCCH have worked with the many amazing volunteer ‘green groups’ that are active in the town, to keep raising awareness of the environmental issues that concern the community.  Find out more about the project via SCCH's website.

Hundreds of local people have shaped the charter. SCCH hope that it provides more evidence and inspiration for people not to be discouraged but to act positively to look after our green and blue spaces. 

The charter will be presented to local authorities and to the local MP Richard Foord, who is also a great advocate for the environment, to help make community voices heard. 

The power of our collective community voice sends a message up stream to decision makers that policy making at local and national levels must address at a macro level, the issues faced locally.