Do you know any Eco Heroes? Win £500 in the P&J’s new environmental competition

By Philippa Gerrard

January 20 2022, 11:45 am

Environment reporters Kieran and Pip are searching for Eco Heroes across the north and north-east. Photo by Elin Beattie.

Never before has the environment had such a prominent place in the news agenda as it does right now.

But then again, never in our lifetimes has the environment been in such trouble.

We are looking for the people who are trying to make a difference.

We are looking for the Press & Journal’s Eco Heroes.

A brand new environmental competition

Today we launch a brand new competition to look for individuals or groups making a positive difference to the environment across the north and north-east of Scotland.

There is no age limit, so whether you’re eight or 80 we want to hear from you.

Perhaps you make sustainable fashion, collect nurdles on beaches or teach others how to reduce their plastic waste and recycle.

Nurdles on a beach — Nurdles are tiny micro-plastics which wash up on beaches around the UK. Dedicated litter pickers collect them to stop plastics entering the food chain.

Or maybe you’re passionate about planting wildflowers and helping pollinators or have developed some new innovative way to reduce food waste.

There are an endless number of ways to help reduce our carbon footprint and we want to hear about your creative solutions.

Press and Journal journalists Philippa Gerrard and Kieran Beattie — P&J environment reporters Pip and Kieran want to hear from anyone with a creative environmental project. Photo by Elin Beattie.

The prize

The winning individual or group will receive a cash prize of £500 to spend on their eco project, no matter how big or small.

They will also receive a special certificate of achievement and public recognition in the Press and Journal.

We will keep up with the Eco Heroes winner and follow their progress to see what difference the prize money has made.

How to apply

Have you been working to preserve the world around you?
Have you been teaching others how to protect the environment?
Have you been doing an environmental research project?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then we want to hear from you.

Or if you know someone who might fit the bill, you can nominate them on their behalf.

We are also accepting entries from all kinds of environmental groups from across the north and north-east.

Email us at environmentandtransport@ajl.co.uk with as much information as you can.

Kieran Beattie and Philippa Gerrard, Press and Journal environment and transport reporters at the press and journal — Pip and Kieran are looking forward to hearing about all kinds of environmental projects. Photo by Elin Beattie.

We are looking to know exactly what you do, where you do it and how you got into it.

Any additional details or pictures are a bonus.

Judging our Eco Heroes

Each month we will select at least one Eco Hero to feature in the Press & Journal.

At the end of the year, each of these selected entries will be examined by our panel of judges.

These judges will include experts in environmental science, biology and our very own P&J editor who will work together to determine the finalists.

It will then be up to the public to vote for their favourite Eco Hero to win the £500 prize.

This is a great chance for you to share your environmental activism and creative work.

We are looking forward to supporting and learning more about the environmental projects working to help our planet right here in the north and north-east of Scotland.