Over the last three decades, Surfers Against Sewage has grown into one of the most successful marine campaigning and conservation charities in the UK. The organisation is committed to confronting all the threats that face our oceans.
Through its ambitious and innovative education programmes and campaigning, Surfers Against Sewage is building a community that cares passionately about the ocean and understands the potential of people power to drive real change.
Campaign Action
Surfers Against Sewage run a wide range of impactful campaigns, including #EndSewagePollution, which aims to drive transformational reform of the water industry to create a system that serves the planet and people, not profiteers.
The charity is also demanding an end to plastic pollution on UK beaches by 2030 and an end to all plastic pollution by 2040. For Surfers Against Sewage this means urgent, drastic action, and the organisation is calling for legislation that ends both the production and consumption of non-essential polluting and single-use plastics, along with legislation to ensure efficient waste management and resource use.
The charity also calls for business models that are focused on reuse and reduction and a wider cultural change across all society.
The Next Generation of Ocean Activists
Surfers Against Sewage is empowering and inspiring young people to join its growing network of Ocean Activists. The charity’s education programmes link to its campaign goals around water quality, plastic pollution, ocean recovery and the climate emergency.
For example, Plastic Free Schools is a pupil-led education programme teaching young people the power of their voice when it comes to eradicating single-use plastic. The programme offers free resources and a connected community of schools and is fast becoming a nationwide movement.
Meanwhile, Ocean School helps young people understand important ocean issues, feel more connected to the coast and learn how to take action. The goal is to create young activists with a high level of knowledge of and respect for the sea.
Percent for Good’s Nature and Environment Cause Portfolio
Percent for Good, a charitable organisation founded by Mark Lyttleton, helps people donate regularly and easily to the causes that matter to them. It has carefully curated several Cause Portfolios, including the Nature and Environment Cause Portfolio, of which Surfers Against Sewage is a part. The incorporated charities in this portfolio aim to help rewild, regenerate and restore the UK’s rivers, woodlands and coastland and improve biodiversity. As well as Surfers Against Sewage, these other charities include Bumblebee Conservation Trust, The Conservation Volunteers, Rewilding Britain and The Rivers Trust.