Marine Conservation Society

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is a leading UK charity focused on promoting marine conservation in UK waters. MCS champions a vision of sustainable fisheries, abundant marine life and clean seas and beaches for the enjoyment of all. Since 2012, the Foundation has supported its work, as part of the Marine CoLAB group at the heart of our Valuing the Ocean programme.

Since 2012, the Foundation has supported MCS to explore how to communicate the role of the ocean in human and planetary wellbeing in more effective ways and to trial mainstream participatory approaches to decision-making of our marine spaces. As part of the Marine CoLAB, some of the main values of the MCS are collaboration and placing value at the heart of shaping solutions – what we call the values-based approach. The Foundation has given MCS grants totalling £678,000.

 

Community Voice Method

Community Voice Method (CVM) is a film-based approach to engage communities in a variety of issues in the UK and the UK Overseas Territories. In bringing people together to share what they value and their vision for the future, this method has enabled inclusive conversations about how challenges can be met that have resulted in positive change for people and the places they love and depend on. The Foundation has given £64,000 in grants to adapt and trial CVM in the UK, including the production of a short film (below) to pilot its use in the UK for developing management measures for marine protected areas.

Community Voice Method explained.

In 2018, MCS were further supported with £80,000 to create a campaign called ‘Blue Heart‘ that will use CVM to capture and communicate the importance of the ocean to a range of people with varying values across the UK.