Small Grants, Big Impact: How Sea-Changers Funds Community Ocean Action
From How To Protect The Ocean · 51:05
Show by Andrew Lewin
Have you ever had an idea for your community, like a beach cleanup, a water fountain, or a patch of shoreline that needs some love, and thought, "If I just had a little money, I could make this happen"? That kind of funding is hard to find. In the UK, there's a charity built for exactly that. Sea-Changers was founded about 15 years ago by Helen Webb and Rachel Lopata, two divers with no background in marine science who watched the places they loved underwater start to decline. Instead of starting one project, they started a way to fund hundreds. They bring in money from businesses and foundations and hand it out as small grants, mostly £500 to £2,500, to community-led marine conservation projects across the UK. By their count, that's more than 600 projects so far. In this episode, recorded the week before Andrew heads to the International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC8) in Edinburgh, Helen and Rachel share how they turned ocean anxiety into action, why they let communities choose their own priorities, and why some projects deserve funding on faith. You'll hear how an early grant helped Project Seagrass get started, how a small innovation grant proved dogs can sniff out invasive sea squirts, how a learning fund connects isolated groups across Scotland, and why income is still one of the biggest barriers to taking part in conservation. Helen and Rachel are speaking on the "Small Grants, Big Impact" panel at IMCC8. If you're there, come find them, and Andrew. Links mentioned in this episode Sea-Changers: https://www.sea-changers.org.uk/ Sea-Changers Innovation Fund: https://www.sea-changers.org.uk/innovation-fund Project Seagrass: https://www.projectseagrass.org/about IMCC8, Edinburgh, November 13 to 17, 2026: https://conbio.org/mini-sites/imcc8/ Last week's episode: Lilly Woodbury, Surfrider Foundation Canada: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/podcast-243/ Andrew's episode with Chad Nelson, Surfrider Foundation CEO: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/sufb-1195-grassroots-marine-conservation/ Sea-Changers socials Instagram: @beaseachanger, https://www.instagram.com/beaseachanger/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seachangersorg/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/sea-changers Support Independent Podcasts: https://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon Need help with your ocean non-profit, company, or project? Get the help you need with Pisces Oceans Inc.: https://www.piscesoceans.ca Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube
More episodes of How To Protect The Ocean
More episodes
- From Small Towns to a Global Treaty
- The Straw Backlash: Why Guilt Doesn't Work
- The Beach That Doesn't Need Cleaning Anymore
- Too Enthusiastic? How to Find Your Place in Ocean Action
- Come for the Impact, Stay for the People: Inside Surfrider Canada
- One Promise: How a Postcard Changed Behaviour for a Year
- Why Saying "Fishing Is Bad" Backfires
- The Reef That Built Itself Back: Coral Recovery After Bleaching
- Why Nobody Can Name a Marine Protected Area
- Can You Name One Marine Protected Area? Dr. Judy Mann-Lang on MPA Day
PodSearch is a free, independent podcast search engine. Read about PodSearch, the privacy policy or contact us.