World Ocean Week returned to the island this May, hosted by Jersey-headquartered marine charity Ocean Culture Life (OCL) for a fourth year, and supported by Mourant as the charity’s ‘Partner in Purpose’. The week-long programme of events aimed to educate, inform and inspire people of all ages to become ocean ambassadors and future guardians of our seas.
For Mourant, this has been a long-term and impactful relationship, aligning the charity’s objectives alongside the cultural and environmental values of the professional services firm. As OCL’s Partner in Purpose, Mourant has demonstrated its position as a responsible corporate citizen, recognising the importance of giving back to the world and within those communities in which it operates. Mourant is continuously looking towards the future, not only ensuring that its business remains innovative, agile and sustainable, but that it leaves behind a positive lasting legacy.
The annual World Ocean Week series of events and engagement activities are OCL’s flagship initiative, and have grown from a grassroots celebration to a global, community-powered movement, using the ocean to unite and connect people. The impact and success of the project has been felt by all involved. Leveraging Mourant’s support, OCL has been able to expand its global ocean education and storytelling network, awarding five Ocean Storytelling Grants supporting creative advocacy, and is enjoying significant exposure through awareness, community engagement and media coverage.
Locally, it has connected with over 1,000 students through in-person workshops and reached 30,000 members of the public to events and exhibitions over the last four years. Collectively, OCL has also reached more than 500 people at private and public events, which last year featured NASA astronaut Nicole Stott and this year welcomes the ‘Black Mermaid’, a South African ocean conservationist, social activist, and filmmaker who is the first black female freediving instructor from her country. Following three years of meaningful connections, and awareness of ocean conservation at local, regional and global levels, OCL this year introduced the theme of ‘Accelerating Impact, asking people what can they do to amplify and spread this important message.
For Mourant, the continued partnership with OCL reinforces the firm’s commitment to environmental sustainability. In 2022, Mourant chose to align with the United Nationals Sustainable Development Goals, one such goal being SDG 14 – Life below the Water. The firm is committed to working alongside local conservation activities and supporting those organisations dedicated to marine conservation.
Lending weight to the message, Mourant has held private events, invited colleagues and industry partners to participate in World Ocean Week and encouraged its team to get involved with volunteering opportunities.
OCL CEO, Tamsin Raine, said: “Thanks to Mourant’s continued belief in our mission, World Ocean Week has become more than just a week of events, it’s a movement that connects communities, businesses, and young people to the ocean through storytelling, education, and action. Mourant’s support is not just seen. It’s felt, in every student’s smile, every story shared, and every wave of change.”
Ben Jones: Associate, Finance and Corporate, Mourant
Ben has been with Mourant for three years, having qualified as a solicitor in Edinburgh in 2022. He advises investment firms, banks and other leading financial institutions on a wide range of local and overseas corporate and financing transactions.
What opportunities exist to socialise with your colleagues outside of work?
Mourant promotes and encourages engagement in local sports events. In my short time at the firm, I have played in padel, table tennis and touch rugby corporate leagues and participated in the Jersey Marathon Relay, Canaccord Cup and Island Walk with colleagues. I think team sports provide an excellent opportunity to build relationships and have a laugh outside of the working environment. In my short time at Mourant, it has allowed me to make close friends in other departments of the firm.
How does Mourant’s partnership with OCL connect with your personal values?
Growing up in Edinburgh’s coastal town of Portobello, the beach was a stone’s throw away. I have many fond memories of life by the sea and similarly in Jersey, the beaches come to life in the summer with so many enjoyable activities in and out of the water. I love surfing and have recently taken up sailing, discovering a real sense of coastal community in Jersey. I have come to appreciate the importance of protecting our oceans through powerful storytelling such as documentaries, photography and writing, and have been humbled by the collective human effort to preserve the planet’s marine life. I was impressed when OCL came to speak to us about the charity’s work and it was inspiring to learn about its mission to empower storytellers to raise awareness of the pressing issues and challenges facing our oceans.
As a company operating across several island jurisdictions with a commitment to environmental sustainability, Mourant’s partnership with OCL is a perfect fit. With so many of our people living and working by the coast, it’s a great initiative which we can all get behind.
What element of World Ocean Week are you most looking forward to?
I am looking forward to increasing my awareness and understanding of the ocean. Hopefully I will make it along to Sunset Bay for the ‘Stories of the Sea’ event and can watch the OCL screenings. I am also planning to attend the Big Ocean Cleanup down at Bouley Bay, alongside the odd sea swim or a bit of surfing!
Holly Thebault: Senior Associate, Dispute Resolution, Mourant
Holly has worked at Mourant since 2017, initially joining as a paralegal in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution team, before taking the Jersey Law exams and qualifying as a Jersey Solicitor.
How does Mourant’s partnership with Ocean Culture Life connect with your personal values?
I grew up in Jersey and spent a lot of my childhood at the beach. I never really understood what a privilege it was to live so close to such beautiful beaches until I spent time away and then subsequently when I had my daughter in 2024. Protecting the ocean for future generations, and providing an education about it, is something that I am now passionate about. It’s scary to think how future generations might miss out on something so incredible if we don’t learn how to protect and preserve our environment. I am looking forward to attending the Ocean Connection Family Programme, which has a range of interactive workshops, storytelling and hands-on conservation activities, all focused on inspiring families to connect with the ocean.
How does Mourant support you as a new parent returning to work?
Naturally, returning to work after having a child is quite a big adjustment. I think Mourant recognises this and understand that your priorities and focus shift during this time. There are excellent opportunities in place for flexible working, and it is definitely a workplace where preferences are listened to and considered. Having such a good team around me has also been a major factor in feeling secure in my return to work and I really am grateful for their support.
How do you think you personally, can make a positive difference to the planet?
I think that the scale of the problem the world is facing is so big that sometimes people feel overwhelmed as to what they can do to make a difference. I’ve learnt that the little things do matter, and it can be as simple as changing your commuting habits by travelling around our island on a bike, buying second hand, reducing food waste and participating in community initiatives.
Abbie Syvret: Sustainability Associate, Mourant Consulting
Abbie joined Mourant Consulting at the beginning of 2025 to support the firm’s transition to a net zero business. She is tasked with building sustainability into everyday business strategy and operations, and working closely with colleagues to raise awareness.
How would you describe the culture at Mourant?
One of Mourant’s core values is being ‘forward-thinking’, so sustainability is a natural feature of how we operate in our future. We’re still early in our sustainability journey, but it’s motivating to be part of a team where new ideas are encouraged, and people genuinely want to make a difference. In a recent survey, 87 per cent of our people said sustainability matters to them, which is a clear sign that our work aligns closely with the values of our team.
How can Mourant make a meaning contribution as a sustainable business?
Through Mourant Consulting we provide sustainability services to clients, creating strategies, conducting assessments and delivering training to help embed sustainability into the way they work. Internally, we’ve made huge progress on our journey to becoming a sustainable business, publishing our first ESG statement in 2024 and completing our first sustainability materiality assessment to identify what matters most to our stakeholders and where we can have the biggest impact. We have continued to deliver on the Mourant Ocean Pledge across offices, with beach cleans, local marine conservation initiatives and partnership with organisations such as Ocean Culture Life and Blue Marine Foundation.
How can you personally make a difference to the planet?
I believe that although small, everyday actions really do add up. Along with travelling more sustainably, I try to make considered choices in the products I buy. Looking at carbon footprints, avoiding fast fashion and generally buying less but better are just a few ways I look to reduce my carbon footprint on the world.
