O’Neill kick start kids to clean up Britain’s beaches

Boardsports brand O’Neill and Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have joined
forces to combat one of the biggest environmental problems facing the UK
today by encouraging schoolchildren to act now to save our beaches through a
range of school activities

O’Neill have donated £10,000 to make the SAS/O’Neill Sea Odyssey project one
of the most effective environmental education projects the UK has seen to
date.

Hundreds of thousands of litres of sewage containing 100 different human
viruses including Hepatitis A and Salmonella, is discharged around the
British coast each day.

In addition to the risk to human health, the UK’s wildlife is also under
constant threat from sewage, industrial and domestic waste and even the
seemingly harmless cigarette butts that litter the nation’s beaches.

The SAS/O’Neill Sea Odyssey is a marine environmental program aimed at
educating British children through a number of school activities with the
opportunity to win an exciting and educational boat trip around the Cornish
coast.

In order to be selected for the SAS/O’Neill Sea Odyssey trip of a lifetime,
schools will be encouraged to take on a number of activities throughout the
year including practical tasks like beach cleaning – one of the best ways to
get kids to really involved and make a direct difference to the marine
environment.

Schools deemed to have done the most in helping to educate or protect our
fragile coastlines will earn an exclusive day out on a boat next summer with
the Team O’Neill pro surfers

Children will have the opportunity to see the marine environment in action
off the beautiful Cornish coastline – including dolphins, whales, sharks
seals and a plethora of sea birds.

The O’Neill Sea Odyssey originated in 1996 as the brainchild of Jack O’
Neill, inventor of the wetsuit and founder of international boardsports
brand O’Neill. To date, over 17,000 American school children have benefited
from the educational program.

“The objective of the O’Neill Sea Odyssey is to teach kids about our living
ocean and emphasise that we must take care of it. The project opens so many
doors for a lot of kids” says 81 year old Jack O’Neill who now dedicates
most of him time to the project in the USA.

Both SAS and O’Neill relish the opportunity to bring this significant
project to the UK and look forward to the benefits the initiative brings.
The SAS/O’Neill Sea Odyssey will be officially launched at the O’Neill
British National surfing championships in October.

Andy Cummins of Surfers Against Sewage says, “I can’t wait to see what
projects the kids come up with. Opening up the Sea Odyssey up to kids across
the nation is sure to spark an array of creative projects.

Schools interested in getting involved in the SAS/O’Neill Sea Odyssey should
call 0845 458 3001 and check out www.oneillseaodyssey.org for further
information.