Financial service provider Suntera Global, Beach Buddies and Isle Listen are inviting primary schools to take part in a sculpture design competition.

The ’Fill a Fish’ project will see the construction of four unique fish-shaped beach clean sculptures that will live permanently in close proximity to carefully selected beaches around the island.

Each sculpture will be designed by a student from a primary school that is local to the beach, then brought to life by artists Darren and Steph Quayle Jackson from The Farmyard Studio.

Suntera Global Group boss said David Hudson: ’It is a pleasure to be working in collaboration with Beach Buddies and Isle Listen to launch this project in order to raise awareness of the global causes of climate change and mental wellbeing.

’We hope that the sculptures will actively increase the recycling of plastic waste on our beaches while encouraging members of the community to get out and about, keeping physically and mentally well as they feed our fish.

’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 six other global jurisdictions.’

The Fill A Fish team are encouraging schools that wish to participate to invite them along to an assembly or classroom so that they can talk about the benefits of getting involved.

Annabel Chambers, project lead at Isle Listen, said: ’We have been working in partnership with Suntera Global throughout 2020 to create a suite of wellbeing training courses to support their staff and our service users. We were delighted to be invited to collaborate on this exciting new project.

We are really looking forward to engaging with the children in the island’s primary schools as they work through the design process for this exciting campaign. By providing them with an opportunity to get creative we can help boost social inclusion, improve mental wellbeing and build self-esteem.

’Once the sculptures are in place we will then be looking at ways we can encourage children, friends and families to get out and feed our fish because we know of the significant benefits that physical activities and social interactions can have on the mental wellbeing of people of all ages.’

Founder of Beach Buddies Bill Dale added: ’Helping children to understand the impact of the careless disposal of rubbish is crucial in trying to change the way we all respect the environment, the wildlife and the earth itself so I am really looking forward to accompanying Isle Listen to visit the participating schools.

’I am also delighted to continue to work with Suntera Global and would like to thank them for its support to date.’

Competition packs can be downloaded from www.suntera.com/fill-a-fish or via email at [email protected]. Design submissions will be accepted until February 19.