FILL A FISH ISLE OF MAN
In collaboration with our partners Beach Buddies and Isle Listen
Read our story
Project overview
At the end of 2020, we launched our Fill A Fish project, in collaboration with Beach Buddies and Isle Listen, in support of the global causes of climate change and mental wellbeing.
All of the Island's primary schools were invited to take part in a competition to design our five Fill A Fish sculptures. Isle Listen actively engaged with the schools by joining assemblies and hosting Get Creative sessions to help children work through the design process.
After many months of hard work and looking through over 600 design submissions, the winning children selected were Alexandra Lledo-Mulvey from Peel Clothworkers School, Caleb Crellin from Anagh Coar Primary School, Finlo Stanford from Scoill Phurt Le Moirrey, Imogen Crennell from Bunscoill Rhumsaa, and Nicole Astell-Burt from The Buchan School. The drawings have since been brought to life by Darren Jackson and Stephanie Quayle from The Farmyard Studio and are now positioned in their permanent homes in Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Port Erin and Ramsey.
The sculptures were unveiled at the official launch on Thursday 4th August at the Government House by Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer KCB DSO MBE and his wife Lady Lorimer MBE, before being moved to their selected locations around the island. The launch was attended by the winning children and their families, the commissioners for each area where the sculptures have been placed, government representatives, and other special guests.
Subsidised generously by staff fundraising efforts, we envisage that this project will serve as a blueprint for a group-wide initiative that will later be rolled out across each of our nine other global jurisdictions as we further empower responsible ambition amongst our workforce.
.png "wave for web (bottom)")
Watch our video introducing the initiative
Project aims
The sculptures will actively encourage community participation and as a result we will see:
Over 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year and 50% of it is destined for single-use.
Our Fill A Fish beach clean sculptures will act as receptacles that encourage people to dispose of their single-use plastic waste in a responsible and sustainable way.
Over 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year.
Plastic pollution affects the safety of the food we eat and as a result our health, as well as contributing significantly to climate change.
Marine species often ingest or become entangled by plastic which causes injury and often death.
We believe that our fish sculptures are the only marine life that should be eating plastic.
We are very lucky to have so many fantastic beaches on the Isle of Man.
Whether you are walking the dog, enjoying a romantic picnic or taking the kids for a paddle, we hope our sculptures encourage you to both dispose of your own plastic waste responsibly and pick up and dispose of any additional plastic you may find.
We want our community to be able to enjoy these wonderful natural resources for years to come.
Physical activity can have significant benefits on the mental wellbeing of people of all ages.
We hope that members of our community are encouraged to get out and about to feed our sculptures, taking in some gentle exercise at the same time.
Getting involved with community projects that make a difference almost always makes us feel better about ourselves.
By helping to keep our beaches clean, we hope you feel an increase in wellbeing and contentment.
.png "wave for web (bottom)")
Our competition winners
Castletown Winner: Nicole Astell-Burt - Buchan Primary School
Douglas Winner: Caleb Crellin - Anagh Coar Primary School
Peel Winner: Alexandra Lledo-Mulvey - Peel Clothworkers Primary School
Port Erin Winner: Finlo Stanford - Scoill Phurt Le Moirrey
Ramsey Winner: Imogen Crennell - Bunscoill Rhumsaa
Our partners and artists
Beach Buddies
Beach Buddies was founded in October 2006 when two people were walking on Kirk Michael beach with their dogs. Until then no one had any idea of the scale of the environmental problem facing our Island.
Within a few weeks they had collected hundreds of bags of rubbish, some of the materials dating back as far as 30 years.
After operating on a very small scale for several years, Beach Buddies have recruited over 8,000 volunteers to help keep our beaches clean and free from plastic.
Isle Listen
Isle Listen is an early intervention and positive mental health charitable initiative that provides support and training in schools, the workplace and community, helping people to recognise that mental health is just as important as physical health.
Their aim is for everybody in the Isle of Man to feel emotionally empowered and effectively supported with their mental health.
The Farmyard Studio
Darren and Steph from The Farmyard Studio exhibit internationally in Japan & London using Ice and Clay, metal, bronze & natural materials.
They are also the makers of the original Basking Shark, The Giant Manannan Mac Lir and Loaghtan Sheep sculptures, the Wild Life Park Elk, Southern Show Centenary Bull and When I grow up RNLI Bronze.
The launch of Fill A Fish
Nicole Astell-Burt with Magnus the Seal
Finlo Stanford with Munchy Mackeral
Alex Llledo-Mulvey with Sammy Perkin the Dolphin
Caleb Crellin with Bottle Barry the Basking Shark
Imogen Crennell with Cleo the Rockstar Fish
Cleo the Rockstar Fish
Bottle Barry the Basking Shark
Magnus the Seal
Sammy Perkin the Dolphin
Munchy Mackerel
Our legacy video
