I’m proud to be on film here with our brand new Environment Minister, Arlene Foster. She’s DUP, she’s from Enniskillen and best of all she’s a MUM!!!! which means her kids will pester her.

Arlene’s first support came to us back in April, with a statement for our opening film in her home town of Enniskillen, which was immediately endorsed in Trillick by Sinn Fein MLA Barry McElduff.

I am aware that local retailers have been asking customers if they need a bag. I want to endorse what they have been doing, and encourage others to do likewise. As the Wake Up to Waste campiagn emphasis, we should Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

We’ve now made many more connections, with such people as Lynn Frazer of the Alliance Party and Brian Wilson MLA (NI’s first elected Green), both of whom attended our launch at Queen’s Film Theatre on June 21, where the Environment Minister gave an address to everyone – children, teachers, Friends of the Earth, representatives of government, NGOs, businesses, shops etc

I’m also proud that our NEEDabag? films – 16 of them from all around the North – have shown Arlene how many of us are now speaking out for our environment, for our kids, and for our future.

Our films have revealed a number of serious ongoing stories that need attention e.g.:

• the rubbishing of Portrush
• Ballymena‘s struggle to clean up the 12th July bonfires
• the threat of massive pylon’s in the Armagh area
• artifical oestrogens in plastics packaging, as raised by Walter Graham in Downpatrick
• eco-buddies in schools

Well done on all the NEEDABAG films, they are absolutely brilliant, inspiring and energising.

The work that you have been doing is a wonderful way in which to engage young people and some older ones as well! to the problems that the planet is facing and shows how we can all make a huge difference to the environment by doing the simpliest of tasks.

We should all be making sure that people know about this work and are aware of the campaign – the more we pass on the message the sooner we can cear up some of the mess we have created.

So well done to everyone involved and congratulations on a successful campiagn and series of films – from the Environmental Education Forum