The Brighton SAS group was launched on 12th October 1996 at the Brighton Marina Yacht Club.

Sixty people turned up to hear Chris Hines (SAS Head Honcho) talk about the national campaign and why an effective local campaign is so important.

Southern Water (now owned by Scottish Power) has been targeted as Britain's 'Most Wanted' water company to crack, and the upgrading of the Portobello outfall at Telscombe Cliffs (which discharges screened sewage from nearly 300 000 people) as crucial. To help us achieve this aim, we will be

• trying to get Peacehaven designated as a bathing beach (as it is in the direct firing line of the Portobello outfall),
• seeking meetings with the new managers at Southern Water,
• putting pressure on our Member of the European Parliament (MEP) to support the tightening up of the 20 year old Bathing Water Directive, andputting pressure on the SE English Tourist Board to campaign for ultra violet treatment

1. Officers of Brighton Group of SAS

The meeting unanimously elected the following people to act as officers of the local SAS group:
Andrew Coleman,
David Samuel,
Richard Hardy and
Peter Larcombe.

The national SAS office will issue a licence to enable us to use the SAS name for local campaigns and sets out what we can and cannot do.

2. Regular Meetings

We hold regular meetings which will discuss campaigning and fundraising. They are held at Hove Lagoon Windsurfing Club on the first Tuesday of every other month at 7pm. We try to get the business part of the meetings over within a couple of hours, to allow time for socialising.

Under 18s welcome.

Next meeting will be on ????.

3. Portobello Update

Andrew has been told by the Environment Agency that Southern Water may apply for discharge and planning consents in the Spring of next year, but that it is unlikely that they will be required to put in UV - this doesn 't stop us asking for it!

The Lewes District Plan is out for public consultation in November and may contain a clue as to where it is going. Watch this space for developments.

4. T Shirts update

Some of you may have heard that we are getting local SAS T Shirts printed. Unfortunately, the proposed sponsorship (which would have meant that SAS did not have to shell out anything in advance) fell through. We are therefore seeking alternative funding. If your business can afford 500 quid and would like to get its name on a hundred Brighton SAS T shirts (with all profits from the shirts going to SAS), contact Andrew Coleman on 570261.

5. Help wanted!!

We were stoked to get so many people turning up at the launch and offering to help with local SAS activities. We will be contacting you if you volunteered for something specific. If you couldn't make the meeting, here are some of the things you can help us with:

Local surfer Vince Ward wants help arranging a local social event around Xmas time. Phone him on 550568 if you are in a group, are a DJ or can get PA equipment etc.

David and Emily (who arranged the excellent Paddle Round the Pier in June) are planning a bigger and better Beach Festival in July 1997. They plan a variety of aquatic and terrestial events, including a swimming, surfboard paddling, raft, rollerblade and skateboard races.

They particularly want people to help arrange each event and are also looking for business sponsorship.

6. Things you can do

Write to your MEP, pointing out that tourism is worth nearly
£500m every year and supports 21 000 jobs.

It is therefore essential for the local economy and the health of local residents that the 1976 Bathing Water Directive is updated to ensure that much higher standards are set. In particular, ask him to support mandatory standards for:

1. 100 E.coli per 100 ml of water
2. 100 faecal streptococci per 100ml
3. an achievable (but high) standard for enteroviruses
4. a standard for bacteriophages (reliable indicators of sewage)
5. an absence of sewage standards
6. year round compliance with the standards
7. limits on storm water discharges, and
8. more bathing beaches designated.

Tell him that you won't vote for him if he doesn't campaign for these!

Our MEPs are:
Mr B P Donnelly (Littlehampton, Worthing, Shoreham, Hove, Brighton)

Mr J L C Provan (Bognor and Littlehampton)
Address: 2 Queen Anne s Gate, London SW1H 9AA.

We will shortly be doing a demo at Peacehaven to add to pressure to get it designated as a bathing beach and will require volunteers for a Hit Squad (in and out of wetsuits!).

Locals of Peacehaven and Telscombe Cliffs are especially needed. It may be on a weekday (it's easier to get media coverage then). Contact Andrew Coleman on 01273 570261.

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