Final Straw Foundation

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Final Straw Foundation Restoring, educating, and protecting. We empower communities to defend our oceans from plastic pollution🌊 Welcome to the Final Straw Foundation!

We are a registered UK charity (no. 1191500) working with local communities and businesses to highlight the impact of plastic pollution on our environment and to try to minimise the amount of plastic entering our local seas and wider oceans. We started in Emsworth, Hampshire in 2018 as a group of volunteers giving our time to help clean up our local community spaces and, in time, the surrounding areas. We were a non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) from June 2018 through to September 2020, at which point we gained our charity registration and became the Final Straw Foundation CIO. We work with many different types of business on sustainability and helping them find ethical and sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic in their activities. We have a very busy school outreach programme and have reached thousands of children in the Solent area through assemblies and workshops. We work with community groups, giving talks and running activities and encouraging people to avoid single-use plastic and how to best dispose of it if they do need to use it. We still run regular beach and community cleans as it is a great way to get back in touch with nature, with benefits that include the obvious clear-up of litter, but also meeting like-minded people and getting some often well-needed head space and connection with nature.

10/10/2026

Beach Clean Reminder💙

Please join us at Prinsted at 10am - Midday on Sunday 18th October for a public beach clean.

Please sign up FREE so we have a rough idea of how many people will be attending

The meeting point will be opposite the Scout Hut, Prinsted Lane, PO10 8FQ.

Every bit of litter and rubbish we pick up makes a difference!

Sign up via the link below :
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/prinsted-beach-clean-tickets-1992577787802

A couple of weeks ago, our Bianca had the opportunity to attend the Big Sustainability Awards Gala Dinner 2026! 🥂We were...
09/10/2026

A couple of weeks ago, our Bianca had the opportunity to attend the Big Sustainability Awards Gala Dinner 2026! 🥂

We were so proud to be a finalist in the Waste & Recycling Project, Product, or Service category for our beloved Borrow Bags and for using reusable bags for our beach cleans, celebrating circular design, waste prevention, and keeping single-use plastic out of our communities!

While we didn’t walk away with the trophy this time around, being a finalist alongside so many incredible eco-innovators across the South Coast was a huge honor. 🏆

⚡ WHAT ARE BORROW BAGS?

Made from discarded textiles and scrap fabrics, our Borrow Bags are placed in local communities so shoppers can "borrow" a bag when they forget theirs and return it next time!

🧵 Diverts scrap fabric from landfill.
🛍️ Eliminates single-use plastic bags at local high streets.
👥 Stitched with love by our incredible community volunteers!

A massive thank you to the organisers, the judges, and everyone who supports our Borrow Bags initiative every single day. Congratulations to all the inspiring winners and finalists; it’s great to see so much dedicated environmental work happening in our region! 🌿

👉 Want to bring Borrow Bags to your local shop or community group?

Learn more on our website!

( Click the link in our bio )



NELLIE THE RECYCLING FISH HAS FOUND HER FOREVER HOME! 🐟💙After years on the road as an icon for ocean conservation, our b...
08/10/2026

NELLIE THE RECYCLING FISH HAS FOUND HER FOREVER HOME! 🐟💙

After years on the road as an icon for ocean conservation, our beloved Nellie the Big Recycling Fish has officially settled down! 🏫✨

Designed and created to swallow up thousands of plastic bottles and aluminum cans, this striking metal sculpture has been a huge part of our charity’s story. From making a splash at Cowes Week to visiting coastal community events and inspiring pupils at local schools, Nellie has helped thousands of people visualize the sheer volume of single-use packaging we use every day.

NELLIE’S LEGACY:

On Tour: Nellie has travelled the South Coast coastline to raise awareness of marine litter.

Impact: Nellie has collected thousands of plastic bottles and cans directly for recycling.

New Chapter: Nellie will be permanently installed at Bishop Luffa School in Chichester!

We are absolutely thrilled that Bishop Luffa School is giving Nellie her forever home! She’ll continue her mission right in the school grounds, inspiring students every day to reduce, reuse, and recycle, keeping ocean literacy at the heart of their community. 🦪🎒

A massive thank you to everyone who has fed Nellie a bottle, taken a photo with her, or helped move her around over the years! 🌊🙌

Drop a 🐟 in the comments if you ever met Nellie on her travels!

08/10/2026

🌊Reminder for our upcoming beach clean! 🌍

We’re heading to Prinstead, Emsworth on Sunday 18th October from 10:00–12:00 for a litter pick.

It’s a great chance to get some fresh air, do something positive for the local community and help protect our beautiful coastline. 💙

Our beach cleans are open to individuals and small groups, so whether you come alone or with friends, you’re very welcome.

We’ll provide gloves, litter pickers, bags and buckets, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer.

Every piece of litter removed makes a difference.

We’d love to see you there

08/10/2026

🌊Reminder for our beach clean coming up! 🌍

We’re heading to Prinsted Lane, Prinsted on Sunday 18th October, 10:00–12:00, for a litter pick.

It’s a great chance to get some fresh air, do something positive for the local community and help protect our beautiful coastline. 💙

Our beach cleans are open to individuals and small groups, so whether you come alone or with friends, you’re very welcome.

We’ll provide gloves, litter pickers, bags and buckets but feel free to bring your own if you prefer.

Every piece of litter removed makes a difference.

We’d love to see you there

What a turnout! On Saturday evening, over 60 local community members packed into St. Philip's Church in Cosham for a pow...
07/10/2026

What a turnout!

On Saturday evening, over 60 local community members packed into St. Philip's Church in Cosham for a powerful screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing, hosted by the brilliant team at Portsmouth Climate Action Group.

Representing FSF, our very own Helen took to the stage alongside the Portsmouth Library of Things for an engaging Q&A panel! ✨

Helen brought crucial insights on local marine health, water quality, and the practical steps our communities can take to build coastal resilience. The conversation, energy, and questions from the audience were great to see! 🌊💙

Did you miss Saturday’s event? Don't worry!

Portsmouth Climate Action Group is hosting a few more local screenings across the area, so you can still catch the film and join the conversation shaping our region's future. 🎬

👉 Find an upcoming screening date and grab your free tickets here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peoples-emergency-briefing-screening-tickets-1994903037687



Portsmouth Climate Action

FINAL 3 DAYS! 🚨Help us reach our £35,000 stretch target! 🌊⚡The clock is ticking!There are officially just 3 days left of...
07/10/2026

FINAL 3 DAYS! 🚨

Help us reach our £35,000 stretch target! 🌊⚡

The clock is ticking!

There are officially just 3 days left of our Aviva Community Fund match-funding campaign!

Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve raised over £22,000 to fund year-round, independent water quality testing across 10 local sites. But we aren't done yet; we’re making one final push to hit our £35,000 STRETCH TARGET before the campaign closes!

⚡ LAST CHANCE FOR 100% MATCHED DONATIONS:

🔒 Matched up to £250: Aviva will double every individual donation up to £250 per person until time runs out.

🧪 Why it matters: Hitting £35k lets us expand sampling frequency, upgrade equipment, and keep holding polluters accountable 365 days a year.

Whether you can give £5 or £50, today is your chance to make every single pound work twice as hard for our local seas and blue spaces. 🌊

👉 Double your donation before the final whistle:

https://communitiesfund.avivafoundation.org.uk/p/365-water-quality-testing

06/10/2026

🚨 THE FIGHT IS FAR FROM OVER!

🚮 On their way to the Isle of Skye, Hannah and Victoria stopped at the gorgeous Loch Long and, despite the beautiful views, came across a sad sight - mass marine litter!

🌊 The area of Arrochar is victim to being one of the worst litter/pollution spots in Scotland due to the combination of strong winds and water currents that push little from the River Clyde and the Irish Sea towards Loch Long. A mass buildup of litter forms all year round and has caused devastating impacts on the local environment and community - one of which being the seaweed that can no longer be used as field fertiliser due to the amount of plastic contamination. The local community gather to collect as much of the rubbish as possible regularly, but their efforts are challenged by the never-ending flow of plastic.

📣 THIS MUST END! The damage from plastic to our ocean and coastal habitats is very much prevalent and it is something that we can change, from using and buying less plastic to ensuring that we are recycling properly, we can win against this fight!

💪 Be a part of the action - join us for one of our local beach cleans and help restore the health of our stunning coastline, reduce your plastic consumption and make our ocean a healthier, happier place!

Scottish Coastal Clean Up
Balanced Horizon Charity

05/10/2026

362.70kg of Trash Removed from the Lavant Chalk Stream

Chalk streams are some of the rarest, most precious habitats on Earth and last Wednesday, our very own Helen joined forces with the wonderful team at Western Sussex Rivers Trust to give one of our local streams a serious cleanup!

Together with a superstar crew of 16 volunteers (including lots of brilliant new faces!) the team tackled the Lavant chalk stream stretch, heading south from the A27 all the way down to Apuldram Lane.

In just 4 short hours, this incredible group hauled in an astonishing 362.70kg of rubbish!

Among the huge pile of river litter, the team painstakingly cleared;

120 plastic bottles
47 drink cans
20 sh***un cartridges
16 glass bottles..plus a massive haul of larger debris making up the rest of that 362.70kg total!

That is 120 plastic bottles alone that will no longer break down into toxic microplastics or harm local river wildlife! 🦢🐟

Chalk streams rely on clear, clean water to thrive, and seeing community action like this in partnership with Western Sussex Rivers Trust shows just what can be achieved when local environmental groups team up.

A massive THANK YOU to Helen, WSRT, and every single volunteer who donned their boots and rolled up their sleeves for the Lavant last week. You are all absolute legends! 💙🦺

Want to join our amazing volunteer community and help protect our local waters? Drop us a comment or head to the link below to see our upcoming river and beach cleans! 🤝👇

01/10/2026

Where have our restoration team been? 🤔

Last week Hannah and Victoria took a very exciting trip up to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 to meet with the wonderful Kerrie at who is working on the amazing project!

Our ladies made their way to the Isle of Skye for 2 days of extreme beach cleaning where they, along with 19 other amazing volunteers, removed waste such as:

🪢 fishing rope (so much rope!!!)
🪣 plastic buckets/containers
🥛 milk cartons
🍫 chocolate wrappers
🥤 drink bottles
🧤 plastic gloves
🥾 shoes
🪮 hair combs..just to name a few!!

And this list does not include the vast amount of microplastic that was found covering the majority of the beach...plastic pollution is such a prevalent issue that is harming our waters and is something that, as a charity, we are actively trying to combat! 💪

We host our own beach cleans all across the Solent and if you would like to get involved to make a difference to the health of our coast, then check out our website for more details on how to get involved! 💙

Address

Havant

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

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