#TLCSplashMob: Ice Bucket Challenge for the Cove Guardians in Taiji

My friend, photographer/videographer/conservationist/dude, Jimmy Greenwood (Feral Film Productions) recently nominated me for the Ice Bucket Challenge.  Rather than chucking a bucket of water over my head (adding to the already over flowing Facebook walls of my friends), and inspired by Jimmy’s unconventional, and eco friendly, take on the challenge, I decided to rally the troops and make a SPLASH in London’s Serpentine for the love of dolphins, in support of Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians.

As you may know from my Instagram, I have attended several protests outside London’s Japanese Embassy in the last year (above), alarmed and disgusted by the brutal annual six month ‘cull’ of dolphins off the coast of the small fishing village of Taiji.

Annually, after a small selection of herded dolphins, porpoises and small whales are chosen for marine parks, thousands of others are brutally slaughtered and sold off for their meat.  Most citizens in Japan are unaware of these horrendous dolphin hunts, or the serious toxicity of dolphin meat, which contains extremely high levels of mercury and PCBs.

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Now, more than ever, it is important to add your voice to the growing global outrage and international protest against the drive hunt, as well as the captivity and slaughter these innocent creatures.  The strongest weapon we have is our voice. Please write to your local Japanese Embassy or consulate and use your social media platforms to let it be known you oppose the slaughter in Taiji.

Thank you to my girls for agreeing, without hesitation, to one of my more crazy requests, to the Masketeers and the Artful Badger, to Summer Watson and to Jimmy, a man as passionate about this cause as me, for his excellent camera skills, encouragement and enthusiasm.

Donate to Sea Shepherd's Cove Guardians HERE.

#NoMakeUp Selfies for Cancer Research UK

Over £8 MILLION has been raised for Cancer Research UK in the last SIX days during a campaign that’s seen women flooding our social media pages with their bare-faced ‘selfies’ and donating just £3.00 via their phone.  The trend grew totally organically by each woman nominating several friends to follow her lead.  On Day 5 of my bed-bound ‘Spring Fever’ I was nominated by FOUR of my girlfriends on facebook (flowers will do next time girls… jus’saying!) but as it's all in the name of charideeeeeee…  

Cancer Research UK have said that the generous donations would allow the charity to carry out 10 clinical trials that it did not have money to fully fund last week.  Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "We have been overwhelmed by the support people have been showing us through the #nomakeupselfie trend… It has been an exciting week, and we would just like to thank everyone again for their support."

Above:  What’s also great to see is just how beyooootiful all my friends look without their slap… Truly gorgeous inside and out ladies!  To donate £3.00 please text BEAT to 70099.