Eastbourne Spring Water Festival Starts Tomorrow

Eastbourne Spring Water Festival will host a range of events and activities on May 13 & 14 and 18 & 19.

In the words of festival organisers, Plastic Free Eastbourne:

The Spring Water Festival will celebrate our water, including our sea, beach and our network of Refill stations, located along the 19km of seafront and coastline where Eastbourne lies, beginning to be known as “Spring Water Way”. 

By providing free mains “spring water” we can raise awareness for everyone to refill reusable water bottles and reduce the amount of single use plastic, to help protect our environment. Our Downlands are a precious resource, as the rain percolates down into a vast chalk aquifer that provides the town with about 75% of its fresh drinking water. This Festival is an important opportunity to celebrate this initiative and to encourage further expansion. We welcome everyone to download this free App and to use it.

Here's the full line-up of activities & events:

A wide range of exciting events is being planned, for all ages and interests – from walks visiting the refill stations along Spring Water Way, Plastic Free Eastbourne’s third annual ‘Big Beach Clean’ event, pilgrimages, art exhibitions and Studio on the Beach events, citizen science studies and health and well-being events. Also Yoga on the Beach, Towner dedicated film showings.

Saturday May 13

Eastbourne Spring Water Festival Eco-Stalls Fair: 9am and 4pm.

There will be almost 30 eco-aware stalls, ranging from stalls selling goods as well as food and drink; stalls campaigning and stalls entertaining and showing how to become more eco-friendly. The Fair will be sited on Western Lawns between the Big Wheel and Bistrot Pierre. Double the number of stalls compared to last year.

At the Plastic Free Eastbourne stall, you will be able to find out about all of our Festival events as well as be able to register for those events that need registration.

12pm (midday): Festival Opening Ceremony: Eastbourne Sea Swimmers will make a short presentation and the Mayor will declare the Festival open.

Sunday May 14

Big Beach Clean : 2pm 

Everyone welcome.

Volunteers who are already part of our “Adopt a Beach” project will start at their adopted beach.

Everyone is also welcome to start from two locations, where we will have hosting stalls: either from the Wishtower/Lifeboat Museum beach BN21 4DR or from the Beach Deck Café beach BN22 7AE

Here you will be able to buy a litter picker for £5 and be given a litter bag and protective gloves. We will also give you a safety briefing

Come and enjoy this great communal event!

Thursday May 18

'Blue Planet @ Eastbourne’ conference at the Lansdowne Hotel, King Edward's Parade BN21 4EE, curated by Plastic Free Eastbourne and United Nations Association - Climate and Oceans.

Start:  6.30pm with registration and refreshments (charged), ready for a prompt 7pm start.

Speakers include:

“Blue Heart” ~ Eleanor Lanyon

Marine Conservation Zone ~ “Beachy Head East” ~ developments since last year ~ Sophia Pinheiro Vergara

WhiffAway ~ Julian Randall

Biomass Plastics ~ Aulden Dunipace

Is data collection important in challenging environmental plastic pollution?  ~ Andy Dinsdale

UN Decade of Ocean Science (Coastal Connect) Gonzalo Alvarez

There will be a Q/A session

This is a free event. You can access tickets ~ limited to 80 ~ from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/conference-the-blue-planet-eastbourne-tickets-556443747227?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Friday May 19

Rock and Blues concert at the Function Room of the Crown and Anchor, 7pm, with music by local group “Southern Spirit”.

This will be a fund raising event to help finance the Eastbourne Spring Water Festival. The group has a guest artist who will play at this event: Fran Wate is a saxophonist and keyboard player who 'brings a new dimension to their music'.

Tickets cost £8 from the Crown and Anchor or from plasticfreeeastbourne@gmail.com, or via onlineticketseller.com/events/39292 + fee, Eastbourne Welcome Centre + fee.

Oliver Sterno, Founder and Community Leader for Plastic Free Eastbourne, says:

“We believe in taking action with urgency in order to raise public awareness about some of the most pressing issues facing our environment. We are driven by a single goal: to do our part in making Eastbourne a better place for everyone. We want to influence all stages of this environmental crisis and we strive to build productive relationships and make a positive impact.”

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Plastic Free Eastbourne are delighted to be collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders and local businesses from around the town, including:

United Nations Association, Beachy Head Story, Compass Community Arts, Eastbourne Borough Council, Eastbourne Friends of the Earth, Eastbourne Strandliners, East Sussex College Group, Eastbourne Eco Action Network, Eastbourne Climate Coalition, Marine Conservation Society, Refill and City to Seas, South East Water, Southern Water, Surfers Against Sewage,  Eastbourne Chamber UnLtd, Friends of Eastbourne Seafront, Wightman and Parrish, and Visit Eastbourne, as well as many other businesses and groups.

https://www.plasticfreeeastbourne.co.uk/springwaterfestival

For further information about Plastic Free Eastbourne, and details about the festival, visit:

https://www.plasticfreeeastbourne.co.uk