Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds visits Hope Reef to take part in Sheba...

London, 16th August 2023 – Scientists estimate that if we do nothing, 95% of the world’s tropical reefs will be gone in the next 20 years, but hope is not lost. British Paralympian swimmer, Ellie Simmonds OBE, has joined forces with the SHEBA® cat food brand and Mars Sustainable Solutions on “Sheba Hope Grows™” - the world’s largest coral reef restoration programme - to raise awareness of the fundamental role coral reef restoration plays in protecting biodiversity under the sea. 

With the world’s coral reefs at breaking point, the Sheba Hope Grows™ programme aims to not only restore the beauty in our oceans, but help preserve our planet’s health and biodiversity. It aims to protect vital coral reefs which support 25% of the world’s marine life and the livelihoods of over 500 million people depend on coral reefs for food, income and coastal protection. The worldwide Sheba Hope Grows programme is active at over 30 different sites across the globe and, just two years on from its launch, it has restored over 80,000 square metres of coral reef. 

To rally support for this vital movement, the SHEBA Brand has partnered with British Paralympian swimmer, Ellie Simmonds OBE, to raise awareness of the fundamental role coral reef restoration plays in protecting biodiversity under the sea and inspiring people to take action. 

In a new video(Opens a new window), ‘Stories of Hope’, Ellie visits the iconic Hope Reef in the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia, to take part in coral restoration first-hand and learn about the work the Sheba Hope Grows programme is doing with the local community to restore coral reefs around the globe. Passionate about ocean conservation, Ellie shares her experience and love for our world’s oceans and the life within them. Alongside the local community and Mars marine scientists, Ellie experiences coral restoration up-close, from learning how to build and coat Reef Stars in partnership with the local community, to free diving underwater and planting them on the ocean floor. 

Ellie saw first-hand the impact of the Sheba Hope Grows coral restoration programme efforts, swimming over the iconic Hope Reef, which was unveiled to the world in 2021, with 14m by 46m lettering of H-O-P-E spelled out in regrown coral, marking the ocean with a symbol of hope. What was once a barren and lifeless underwater landscape, is now a thriving coral reef ecosystem with coral growth increasing from 2% to 70%, fish populations increasing by 260% as well as a 64% rise in the number of fish species. By 2029, the Sheba Hope Grows programme aims to restore more than 185,000 square meters of coral reefs — roughly the size of 148 Olympic swimming pools — at key sites around the world. 

‘Stories of Hope’ demonstrates that positive change can happen in our lifetime, and that there is hope for the future of our oceans if we continue investing in the work required to restore them. In the video, Ellie urges and inspires the UK and beyond to rally behind the Sheba Hope Grows movement to preserve and restore the beauty of our oceans. 

Ellie Simmonds OBE, Paralympian swimmer, says: “I’ve always been passionate about ocean health with the water being such a big part of my life for many years – and it was truly inspiring to learn and see coral reef restoration in action, from the damaged coral which is lifeless and barren, to the sites where the Sheba Hope Grows programme work is complete – and marine life is flourishing. I’ve learnt why coral restoration is so important, not only to ensure marine life flourishes, but also for the millions of people that rely on them for food, income and protection against climatic events. This is why it is so important for me to support the Sheba Hope Grows movement and urge people that, with action, there really is hope for us restoring the beauty of our oceans.” 

Professor David Smith, Chief Marine Scientist at Mars Incorporated, said: “We know that coral reefs are the beating heart of our oceans and the continued results we’re seeing with our Sheba Hope Grows movement shows that there really is hope for the future. Our efforts around the world to restore and regenerate these precious ecosystems are showing exciting results – we’ve seen coral growth increasing from 2% to 70%, and fish populations increasing by 260% which is fantastic. We were so pleased to have Ellie Simmonds join us in Indonesia to show her the work we’re doing and we hope this video will help spread the word and inspire others to get involved in the Sheba Hope Grows movement.” 

Paolo Rigamonti, General Manager Mars Pet Nutrition UK, said: “We’re so proud of the work that our SHEBA brand and our Mars marine experts are doing, sparking action with the global Hope Grows movement, driven by our belief that the world we want tomorrow, starts with how we do business today. Taking continued action for our climate has never been more crucial; SHEBA’s work is supported by the vision at the heart of the Mars Sustainable in a Generation Plan - one where the planet is healthy, people and pets are thriving, and society is inclusive. Our programme shows that by sharing knowledge and taking collective action, hope grows even in the most challenging of circumstances. With such an affinity with water and the opportunity to see the impact on the reef first hand, Ellie is the perfect advocate for our work and to inspire us all about the part we can play in protecting our planet’s biodiversity” 

As part of the movement, for the second year running, the SHEBA team has also selected an Advocate from the UK, budding marine biologist, Callum Hobbs, to join the team on the Hope Reef for a 10-day experience, learning first-hand from experts and the local community how to restore and rebuild coral reefs. 

The SHEBA Brand’s sustainability efforts are supported by parent company Mars, Incorporated, and its efforts to protect our planet. The Mars Sustainable in a Generation Plan(Opens a new window) illustrates the Mars mission to build the world we want tomorrow, today. 

To learn more about this global coral restoration movement, follow Ellie Simmonds’ journey discovering Hope Reef, by watching Stories of Hope on YouTube(Opens a new window), checking out the Sheba Hope Grows website(Opens a new window), and following Sheba Hope Grows Instagram(Opens a new window). 

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Notes to editors: 

For media enquiries, please contact: 

020 3003 6632 / marspressoffice@freuds.com

Tips on how to play your part in protecting our world’s natural coral reefs: 

Everyone can help work towards a future with healthier reefs and more fish. Use these simple tips to play your part: 

• Look but don't touch: Be mindful that coral is a living creature and touching or stepping on it can harm or even kill it. If you're lucky enough to be near coral, be responsible and lend a hand, or in this case, a hand off, to help preserve coral. 
• Look for reef-safe sunscreen: Sunscreen made with certain chemicals is toxic to fish, corals and other marine life. Avoiding sunscreens with oxybenzone and oxtinoxate is a great first step in protecting the reef, both on and off the beach! Look for a more reef-safe sunscreen with mineral ingredients or a physical UVA and UVB barrier. 
• Always leave nature better than you found it: That means picking up after yourself so litter doesn't find its way into the ocean and harm the coral. Whether it's collecting litter from the beach or a dive, or using reusable bags and water bottles to cut down on waste, everyone can do their part. 

About the SHEBA® Brand: 

The SHEBA® brand knows that cat owners love cats for their independent spirits, individual personalities and discerning palates. That's why the SHEBA brand puts cats at the heart of everything it does, creating premium recipes designed to entice cats' unique tastes and desires with irresistible real meat, fish or poultry and no artificial flavours. The SHEBA brand appreciates the relationship between cats and their owners and uses that understanding to celebrate and fuel their unique bond. Look for SHEBA premium cat and kitten food and cat treats at retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.sheba.com(Opens a new window). 

About Mars Petcare: 

Mars Petcare is part of Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. Our almost 100,000 Associates across 130 countries are dedicated to one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. With 85 years of experience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the world's pets – including brands PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, SHEBA®, CESAR®, GREENIES™, as well as the Waltham Petcare Science Institute which has advanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. Mars Petcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through an international network of more than 2,500 pet hospitals and diagnostic services including AniCura, AntechAsia Veterinary Diagnostics BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant, VCA, VES, and VSH. We're also active in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND programs that drive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry. As a family business and guided by our principles, we are building a thriving and inclusive workforce reflective of the many pets and communities we serve, privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believe in. And we choose to fight for our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. 

About Mars, Incorporated: 

For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us. 

Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL™, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield™ Pet Hospitals, BluePearl™, Linnaeus, and VCA. 

We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive. 

For more information about Mars, please visit mars.com. Join us on Facebook(Opens a new window), Twitter(Opens a new window), LinkedIn(Opens a new window), Instagram(Opens a new window) and YouTube(Opens a new window). 

To learn more about Mars’ sustainability targets and the work Mars is doing for the planet, people and pets here.