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Organise Your Own Clean

PLEASE NOTE – ALL RISK ASSESSMENTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE NOTES ON CORONAVIRUS. PLEASE FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THIS BEFORE PLANNING YOUR CLEAN.

Please Note; our Beach Clean Programme is for members of the public and community groups to lead and we give them the tools and resources to do so. Unfortunately we are unable to support corporate or company cleans. If you want to organise a clean as individuals from a company (i.e. you have been given a volunteer day but won’t be doing and promoting it as your company) then that is fine. We will support this with equipment and insurance as long as several criteria are met:

  • You do not promote the event as your company working with/supporting Surfers Against Sewage
  • You complete the relevant paperwork and return it to the SAS Team within reasonable time (as least 2 weeks before your clean)

This is a new policy and as such is subject to change and all enquiries will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Thank you for your interest in leading a clean event.

We’ve created this STEP BY STEP guide below to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for you to organise a clean for your community. Most of your questions can be answered here so please do have a good look. If you still need help please email the Beach Clean Team on beachcleans@sas.org.uk.

So you want to hold your own clean event? Amazing! Here’s our 5 step process to organising the event. Questions? See our FAQ’s below as well as our top tips.

1. First things first, choose a location, it doesn’t have to be a beach! Sadly plastic pollution is a global issue . Larger, more remote beaches will be harder hit.

2. Please download and fill in the following documents

3. Send the completed ‘Pre-Event Checklist’ to Laura via email at beachcleans@sas.org.uk (please send this as a Word document or PDF as we are unable to open Pages files).

4. Print off the following documents to have with you on the day of the beach clean to show volunteers who wish to read them:

5. Don’t forget to Say ‘Thank You!’ – Your clean volunteers are donating a valuable thing to support us, their time! Weekends are precious things and the fact that people not only want but actually look forward to spending that time with us is a truly inspiring thing.

* Thanks to an ongoing partnership with Cornwall Council and Clean Cornwall we have been given blanket permission to run cleans on their beaches. If your beach is on the list here; Council Owned Beaches you no longer need to complete the Beach Manager Notification Letter above. Just let the SAS Beach Clean Team know.

What your fellow Beach Clean Organisers say

Don't hesitate about leading your first beach clean! You are only a few steps away from doing something amazing, and SAS will support you the whole way through.
It's such a wonderful, positive way to care for your favourite beach and bring together like-minded people in your community!”

— Vikki Baker, has been leading SAS Beach Cleans for 4 years. Most recently at Westward Ho!

I wanted to be part of a bigger movement to help clean our beaches! It is always hugely satisfying to look back on your clean beach after a clean, but even better to know that others all around the UK (and world!) are doing the same to help the marine environment. It is also the perfect platform to promote changes in the community such as reducing plastic.

Getting involved was very simple and SAS have been brilliant in providing any equipment or promotional materials we might need so I would definitely encourage others to sign up.

— Claire, Channel Islands

Organising your own Clean - FAQs

Do I need permission from the Council/landowner/manager?

We use the term ‘notification’, as they don’t always get back to us and that shouldn’t stop us cleaning the areas we love. All you have to do is follow our ‘Organise Your Own Clean guide’ and we are happy that we have done enough.

Which beach do you want me to clean?

Yours! Every single beach is affected by plastic pollution and deserves our protection.

How old do I have to be to organise my own SAS Clean?

There is no age limit, however if you are under 18 we do ask that you have someone over 18 to support you.

Will I be insured to organise my own clean?

Yes, once you have completed steps 1-6 of our ’Organise Your Own Clean’ guide.

When should I promote my clean?

You can get started as soon as you have received the go ahead from SAS HQ. We can provide tips and assets to help you make loads of noise!

Can I set up my own Facebook Event?

Yeah, go for it! This is a great way of creating a buzz about your clean and keeping your volunteers updated. You can download some social media profile and cover images here

Do I have to write and send a press release?

Your local press always really like to hear of inspiring community activities. All you have to do is put together a short write up of the day in your own words, label and add some of your favourite photos (1MB or above) from the day and send it to the ‘news@ or editor@ email address. Remember to mention SAS and our aim to create plastic free communities together #PlasticFreeCommunities

Do I have to provide my own bags and gloves?

We’re aiming for 100,000 volunteers across the UK so will be asking people to bring their own where possible. If you need us to send you some please make sure you give us at least 2 weeks notice so we can put your pack together. Please indicate how many you think you will need on your pre-event check list and we can send some out.

When will I receive my SAS Clean Pack?

We’ll send it to you as soon as possible once everything is confirmed.

What do I do with all the packaging pollution that we collect?

This is one of the reasons that it’s best if you can make contact with the Council/land owner/manager. Your ‘notification letter’ outlines the best practice. However, if in doubt, bag it up well and put it in or next to the bins provided.

What happens after my clean?

When you have completed your clean please send back your ‘SAS Beach Clean Feedback Form’ and a selection of your photos to beachcleans@sas.org.uk.

Will I get to hear how my beach clean helped?

You’re part of the SAS Beach Clean family now! We hope you’ll stay in touch with us for many years to come and play a big part in helping us to create Plastic Free Communities. We’ll let you know what’s happening and how you can stay involved.