The way we work
At the heart of everything SAS does is a simple belief: that people power, applied with precision and persistence, will force systemic change.
Our theory of change
Our theory of change is a flywheel. Each element feeds the next, building momentum that becomes impossible for decision-makers to ignore.
1. EVIDENCE
We gather the proof that pollution is happening, who is responsible, and what it is doing to people and the environment.
Our Safer Seas and Rivers Service app — the UK’s leading real-time sewage alert tool — puts that evidence directly in the hands of water users. Our citizen science programmes, data analysis, and investigative work give us the credibility to hold polluters and regulators to account.
2. CAMPAIGN
We design campaigns that target the specific levers of change — legislation, regulation, policy, enforcement, and strategic litigation.
Every campaign has a clear ask, a defined target, and a measurable outcome. Our campaigns are famously provocative and no-nonsense, which attracts large audiences and creates unignorable discomfort. This is where the SAS Fearlessness and Fun collide.
3. MOBILISE
We turn evidence and goals into action — petitions, paddle-outs, protests, letters to MPs, digital activations.
We have built a community bursting with campaigners ready to answer the call. Together, we outwit, outplay and outpunk the polluters.
4. PRESSURE
Sustained, visible, large-scale pressure on decision-makers creates the conditions for change.
We make it impossible for governments, regulators and water companies to maintain the status quo. Our deep campaigning experience has taught us when to apply pressure from the outside, how to escalate conversations and when to push for a seat at the table.
5. IMPACT
We pursue five types of systemic change: changed laws, changed regulations, changed policy, changed enforcement, and court decisions that force change when political will is absent.
When we win, we go back to the evidence — tracking implementation, holding those responsible to account, and making sure those wins actually lead to less polluted waters. Victory is only the beginning of the work.
