Despite the current health crisis, Surfrider Europe’s Corporate Awareness Days continue to grow in popularity among the corporate sector. Launched in 2016, these eco-citizen team building activities offer companies opportunities such as customized Ocean Initiatives, waste collections on kayaks, DIY and upcycling workshops, naturalist walks, and seminars to sensitise their employees and increase their ecological consciousness. The program is a key driver of essential funding to support Surfrider’s mission. In the face of a challenging year, the program still reached several new milestones and has a bright outlook for 2021.
Review of an eventful 2020
As expected, the number of participations in Corporate Awareness Days 2020 was highly disrupted by the pandemic and successive lockdowns and has significantly decreased compared to last year. There were 24 activities all told that happened with 15 businesses. However, there were more than 60 activities in the field which were cancelled, and many others were postponed to 2021. Thus, only nine waste collections took place in 2020 when the circumstances were favourable and under strict health conditions. These collections united around 200 participants who collected 120 bags equating to 3600 litres of waste. There is no `little’ victory for the planet!
A response to the situation: New digital activities launched and 100% of participants satisfied.
It is necessary to note that the challenges of the year incited a new need for innovation which Corporate Awareness Days fully embraced. To adapt to the context and find new appealing options to pursue actions of awareness, program managers turned to digital activations. These activities provided a much-needed sense of social connection amid lockdowns and remote working. Whether it was a Masterclass on aquatic pollution, remote DIY workshops or creation of an online Ocean collage, these initiatives were a resounding success. 15 digital activities occurred in 2020 that reached 400 participants and 100% of them said that they would recommend the experience!
In addition to participants demonstrating high satisfaction towards the digital switch, Surfrider also recognized several operational benefits. By sending a “Welcome pack” that provides a detailed overview on Surfrider’s mission, actions, and ways to become more involved, participants were able to learn about opportunities available to them to go deeper with their involvement and cultivate long term commitment. Moreover, these remote operations turned out to be easier and sometimes much more ecological than face-to-face for some foreign associates. Lastly, lower costs allow the organization to extend the Corporate Awareness Days program to businesses that have a limited budget.
More invention and engagement coming in 2021
Thus, digital innovations have allowed this popular program to continue offering businesses an appealing way to raise ecological awareness and best practices among their employees. This way it answers to the social and educational mission that is at Surfrider’s core. Beyond generating funds to power the association’s actions and more educational projects, Corporate Awareness Days make it possible to reach a new and more diverse audience.
