THERE were plenty of so-fish-ticated designs created by the families who took part in an “art recycling” event in Helensburgh last Saturday.

In the spirit of COP26, around 50 families armed with recycled plastic bottles and cardboard packaging took part in a series of fun workshops in the new Pavilion at Hermitage Park, organised by the Albatross Arts community group.

The budding artists used environmentally sourced materials to create a colourful fish installation named Fishtastic Shoal of Plastic.

Alex McEwan, artistic director of Albatross Arts CIC, told the Advertiser: “Creative community events are perfectly placed to be a platform where we can start conversations on social challenges with all sectors of the community.

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“This was the first time the community room at the Pavilion had been used, and it was poignant that it started with a multigenerational activity based around the immediate challenge of climate change.”

The group was commissioned by Argyll and Bute Council to engage the local community in a recycling project raising awareness of the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans.

By bringing together families to work on this project, they initiated a conversation about plastic pollution and the devastating effects it has on marine life.

The eco-warriors highlighted that eight million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into the ocean every day.