Surfers Against Sewage say goodbye to Rich and welcome Hugo!

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) say goodbye to Campaigns Director Rich Hardy this week. After 6 years of heading up the organisation and its campaigns, Rich leaves to start working on a range of environmental campaigns for several non - profit organizations.

SAS is already a recognized campaigning force but in recent years has been successful in campaigning across a broader range of environmental issues that can affect people's enjoyment of the UK coastline and waterways, such as chemicals, litter and shipping pollution.

SAS has always had a great track record when it comes to environmental improvements. Recent successes for SAS include playing a major role in securing new European Bathing Water Legislation, which will help make the UK's coastline cleaner and safer from 2009, a £3.5 billion spend from water industry to improve the sewerage infrastructure to benefit the water environment over the 2005 to 2010 period and ensuring popular recreational water user sites do not see sewage treatment turned off during the winter.

SAS has also been acknowledged for the success of its campaigns across a broad range of media and over the last year alone have picked up prestigious awards for campaigning including a British Environment and Media Award (BEMA), a COAST Magazine 'Best Campaign' Award' and a Surfers Path Global 'Green Wave Award' for Best Surf Related Non Profit group.

Outgoing SAS Campaigns Director Rich Hardy says: "We're delighted with the campaign success rate we've had and have targeted many more for future success. I'd urge all recreational water users and bathers to get behind the SAS campaigns, whether you use the water every day or once a year! We're an active and dynamic organisation that punches well above its weight, both inside and outside the corridors of power".

Stepping into a newly created 'Executive Director' role at the organisation will be Hugo Tagholm. Hugo has been a passionate and active member of SAS for many years. The role has been created to help SAS reach an even wider audience. Establishing new relationships with a variety of supportive stakeholders across the business, water sports and environmental sectors will reinforce SAS' ongoing campaign ensuring water quality is maintained and improved for future generations of recreational water users.

Hugo Tagholm says: "I'm thrilled to be taking up the position of Executive Director at SAS. I've been a member for many years and have been involved closely with campaigns and fundraising initiatives. Rich and the team at SAS have done a fantastic job of continuing SAS' heritage of hard-hitting, successful campaigns, not only on sewage but, increasingly, on the wider range of issues that compromise water quality. I'm looking forward to establishing new relationships to complement and strengthen our dynamic campaigns and attract new members to our ongoing mission to protect our oceans, beaches and waterways."

Andy Cummins, current SAS campaigner and familiar face amongst the UK's recreational water users will be taking on the Campaign Manager's role, after 5 years as Campaigns Officer.

Andy Cummins says: "We've an exciting programme of campaigns coming up over the next year and we'll continue with the same hard hitting grass roots actions that SAS is famous for. Everyone at SAS has worked extremely hard to ensure the water users voice is heard at the highest level and we are excited about raising the volume up a notch or two!"

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