The Big Swim Collective: Find your pathway into Ocean Advocacy
ONE DAY, 1,200 WOMEN, 12 FEATURED STORIES – The Big Swim12 is born.
An endorsed initiative of World Ocean Day and United Nations Ocean Decade Project and Ocean Advocate
The Big Swim Collective is a collection of 12 stories that turns The Big Swim event into a year-long movement for ocean advocacy, sharing real experiences from women taking action to protect the sea. The seed was sown on International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2026, when hundreds of women gathered in Brighton and Poole to enter the water and stand up for it, with banners and calls to #EndSewagePollution.
What started as a single event is growing into something bigger, a visible, collective voice showing that 1,200 women care.
We want to show that activism doesn’t have to be radical or intimidating. It can happen in many different ways through many different approaches, everyday actions, grounded in care, connection and a shared love for the ocean.
Release Timetable
April: Jo Godden: Sustainable Fashion LIVE
May : Susan Leonard: Citizen Science LIVE
June 8th: Jo Moseley: Paddleboarding with Purpose LIVE
June 20th: Natasha Soanes: Cold Water Wellbeing LIVE
July: Peyton Vellea: Accessible Blue Spaces LIVE
August 1st: Summer Challenge LIVE
Sept: Clare Osborn: Surfers Against Sewage
Sept: Sophie Etheridge: Channel Swimming and Disability Advocacy
Oct: Emma Simpson: Writing the Stories of Women and Water
Oct: Rebecca Knights: Sea Safety
Nov: Liz Watson: Beach Sauna Wellbeing
Dec: Rosie Tanner Land and Wave: Creating the Next Generation of Ocean Adventurers
Jan: Charlotte Broster: Photography and Visual Storytelling
Featured
September: Clare Osborn: Surfers Against Sewage
Featured
September: Sophie Etheridge: Channel Swimming and Disability Advocacy
Featured
October: Emma Simpson: Writing the Stories of Women and Water
Featured
October: Rebecca Knight: Sea Safety
Featured
November: Liz Watson: Beach Sauna Culture
Featured
December: Rosie Tanner: Creating the Next Generation of Ocean Adventurers
Featured
January: Charlotte Broster: Photography and Ocean Storytelling
How It Started
The idea for the Collective came from conversations on the beach, with a clear intention: to make sure the impact didn’t end when the swim finished.
Over the next 12 months, we will share 12 featured stories, one each month, from women who attended The Big Swim 2026 and are actively committed to looking after our seas, while also inviting and collecting shorter stories from the ALL the community throughout the year.
These stories will show the many ways people can get involved in ocean advocacy, breaking down what activism looks like and opening the doors, and inspiring others to take part.
More Than a Swim
The Big Swim is evolving into a focal point for people to gather who care about the sea and a natural pathway into ocean advocacy.
It starts with a ticket.
£2 from every ticket supports Surfers Against Sewage.
Placards turn the shoreline into a protest.
What begins as a swim becomes a quiet shift from participant to advocate.
Ocean advocacy is thousands of people taking action, big and small, to protect our seas, rivers and waterways.
The Stories
Each story will show a different way to create change, different paths and passions but one shared mission.
Photograghy: Charlotte Broster: The Outdoor Studio
- Scientific research
- Sustainable fashion
- Citizen science
- Inclusion and accessibility
- Community activism
- Marine restoration
- Cold water culture
- Adventure leadership
- Authors and Writers
Why It Matters
The Collective shows that:
- You don’t need to be a Marine Biologist or have a master’s in environmental science to get involved
- Your actions are part of something bigger. You are not alone — thousands of people care across the country.
- Activism doesn’t look one way.
- Every person can play her own part.
- Know that community sparks lasting impact
Be Part of It
The Ocean needs scientists, storytellers, policy makers, artists, activists, doers and people that care.
We have a few ideas for you to try:
- Volunteering with local groups
- Join Beach clean-ups
- Get involved with Citizen science projects.
- Put the date in your diary for The Big Swim 2027 – Sat 8th or 13th March TBC
- Watch Dirty Business on Channel 4
- Do a deep dive and research into what matters most to you: wildlife, seagrass, seals, microplastics, wetlands, bottom trawling!
- Check out BBC Blue Planet
- Follow @worldoceanday @surfersagainstsewage @oceanconservationtrust @bhseacheck @oceanadvocateorg
- Look out for events on World Ocean Day on June 8th
- Watch Seaspiracy on Netflix
- Sponsor for The Big Swim Collective, email nickyc@pinknicky.com for info.
Thank you for getting The Big Swim Collective this far!
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This publication is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as a Decade Activity. Use of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development logo by a non-UN entity does not imply the endorsement of the United Nations of such entity, its products or services, or of its planned activities. For more information please access: https://oceandecade.org/legal