Here at Surfers Against Sewage, we believe that all surfers should take stewardship of the surfing environment and carry out actions to preserve and improve the places we live, surf and love.
We can all be Surf Activists.
The Surf Activist Toolkit provides surfers (and all grassroots environmental activists) with the tools needed to make a positive change at local beaches and protect Sites of Special Surfing Interest (SSSI) and take your personal campaigning far beyond the beach clean.
We feel that waves and surf spots deserve to be seen as part of our natural heritage and should be afforded greater recognition and protection through political debate and legislation. We campaign hard to raise the public awareness of these natural resources, the environmental, physical and geological factors that create waves and how they are integral to coastal ecosystems and can help support thriving, sustainable and economically successful coastal communities around the UK.
Natural surf breaks should be treated as world heritage sites, and should never be destroyed no matter what the reason… we really can’t allow any existing surf breaks to be taken down, for whatever reason.”
Yvon Chouinard, Founder & CEO of Patagonia, inc.
By challenging government, industry or community and individuals we can all make change happen. Utilising our extensive campaigning experiences, we have created a simple set of guides to help activists launch local environmental campaigns to ensure unique surf spots are better recognised and protected for everyone to enjoy.
Anyone, from any walk of life, can be a grassroots activist, all they need is to feel strongly and have a willingness to cause change. Grassroots activism is a coming together of people, to stand up and make a difference using their freedom of speech.
The Surf Activists Toolkit focuses on the three core issues relating to environmental concerns within the surfer’s realm. These are constructed around the successes of SAS’s previous work, linked to the Protect Our Waves campaign. All three issues have the potential to degrade or even destroy SSSIs. Within each issue, we outline the framework and offer the tools for a grassroots activist to challenge; community, industry and government. This creates the opportunity to tackle issues at varying levels and to ensure that there is an effective tool for all.
Things to remember when changing the world:
- Change can be slow, small steps, can, over time lead to positive, long-lasting effect. Change can occur between generations until it becomes a permeant fixture.
- A single and specific goal is often the most sure-fire way to create change. Focus your efforts.
- Positive People Power is one of the best ways to achieve change. The more people that can positively support your goal, the more likely others are to listen and follow.
- Now is the time to start making the changes that will ensure our Surfing Sites are available for the future generations.
- It is OK to ask for help. The Surf Activists Toolkit is designed to guide individuals into taking action beyond organised roles. The toolkit is by no means exhaustive and taps into just some of the resources used within SAS campaigning. Please get in touch if there is something missing or you need guidance in protecting a Site of Special Surfing Interest
Visit the Surf Activists Toolkit here: www.surfactivists.org
