The two Bristol-based organisations were both founded with aims of tackling social and environmental issues. City to Sea, which was established as a community interest company in 2016, works with communities, businesses, and activists to provide practical solutions to the problem of single-use plastic. It has campaigned across areas including water refills and disposable coffee cups, as well as plastic-free periods and brought about significant legislative bans on items such as cotton buds, cutlery and polystyrene.
Triodos Bank UK has a 25-year history of lending to organisations working for positive social and environmental change and was named Charities’ Bank of the Year at the Charity Times Awards 2023.
City to Sea has recently announced an expansion of Refill Destinations with ten more local authorities across the UK, as well as offering its returnable coffee cup scheme to university campuses in Bath to help cut pollution. It has also recently launched a campaign to ban single-use packaging in restaurants, cafes and bars.
Natalie Fée, founder of City to Sea, said: “City to Sea have banked with Triodos for almost ten years now, so when it came to securing a loan to support our growth, it was incredibly valuable to have a relationship with a local, ethical bank that know us well and could take us through the lending process painlessly! We’re grateful to have Triodos finance backing us so we can keep investing in our much-needed environmental campaigns.”
Simon Crichton, lending manager for nature, food and resource at Triodos Bank UK, added: “We finance sustainable organisations all across the UK – and Europe – but it’s always particularly exciting when you’re able to work with a likeminded organisation in the city where you’re based. City to Sea has had an incredible impact in transforming the public’s awareness and approach to unnecessary, everyday plastic use, so we’re pleased to be able to enable them to continue building on this work.”
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Notes to editors:
For further information and photography please contact:
Ellie James
T: 0117 311 0241
[email protected]
About City to Sea
City to Sea is an environmental organisation, campaigning to stop plastic pollution at source. It works with communities, businesses, and everyday activists around the world to provide practical solutions to the plastic problem. The organisations was founded in Bristol in 2015, by environmental campaigner Natalie Fee.
About Triodos Bank
Founded in 1980, Triodos Bank has become a frontrunner in sustainable banking globally. As an independent bank that promotes responsible and transparent banking, it does not see any conflict between a focus on people and the planet and a good financial return. Instead it believes that they reinforce each other in the long-term.
Triodos Bank has banking activities in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Spain and Germany as well as Investment Management activities based in the Netherlands but active globally. Triodos Bank co-founded the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), a network of sustainable banks. Together these banks want to grow sustainable banking and its impact on the real economy substantially.
Triodos Bank UK Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triodos Bank NV. Registered Office: Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AS. Registered in England and Wales Company No. 11379025. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 817008. VAT reg no 793493383.