Gill Houlsby

I’ve been a passionate environmentalist from an early age and discovered SAS as a teenager while learning to surf at Tynemouth Surf Co. I’ve been a member ever since. I’ve always been impressed by SAS’s integrity; their ethics run through every detail of what they do. Their passion for making a difference at a local and global scale is infectious and they have a brilliant track record of creating positive change and I’m proud to be small part of it.

Seasonal work crewing a yacht and then as a kayak instructor first took me to Skye – an island where I’m now proud to call home. Sadly our coastline suffers from huge amount of marine plastic pollution and this is the issue I concentrate on most. I’m always overwhelmed by the dedication of volunteers in the community who will turn out in all weathers to tirelessly help. Over the years we’ve removed skips and skips full of litter from our coastline. I’m now excited to be exploring ways in which some of this can be diverted from landfill and recycled here on the island. I’m hoping to find a way to contribute to a local circular economy.