MEET THE TEAM
Our mission is to empower individuals and influence decision-makers to make changes to stop reckless consumerism which is damaging our planet and our future.

“I founded the Final Straw to try and raise awareness of the catastrophic damage we are doing to our oceans from our casual consumption of single use plastics. I feel I have a responsibility to my children and grandchildren to do something about it.”
Pat is acutely aware that it is her generation that has created most of the 88 billion tonnes of plastic produced since 1948 and still existing on the Earth today.

In James’ words, “I thought hey, straws; we can definitely do something about that!” – and thus, The Final Straw Cornwall campaign was born. As a creative Cornish business, Idenna’s goals are to leave the world a better place, so the team are delighted to be using their skills to make a meaningful change for Cornwall that is sparking broader awareness and engagement with the main issue facing our planet.

It sickens me that the waste we produce is causing so much destruction to the sea and it’s inhabitants. I want to do all I can to tackle pollution and try and stop the waste being produced in the first place. The easiest place to start is with the suppliers of plastic and the supermarkets and so that is why the Final Straw Cornwall is such a fantastic cause – as well as growing support from the public, we are able to engage with the local business community and help them on the path to plastic free alternatives.

“We all have a personal responsibility to our planet and for our own actions and consumption. I strongly believe we can all make positive changes and that each individual action counts!”

Most importantly, we really care about who we work with. That’s why we love working with The Final Straw Cornwall – because it makes a positive difference for future generations.




The environment is deeply important to James and he is really proud to be involved with the Final Straw. This year James is also writing a revised edition of ‘Practical Self Sufficiency: the Complete Guide to Sustainable Living’ where he will be encouraging a plastic free lifestyle.

Ellie lives by the sea in Looe, Cornwall, and wrote her first book after living on Magnetic Island in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, during which time, she and her young family saw a turtle called Duffy being released back into the ocean after a year of treatment for ingesting plastic. “My children and I were transfixed by the sight of this beautiful creature being set free, and subsequently visited a turtle hospital on the mainland to find out more. Once my children had made the link between plastics and turtles they were obsessed with clearing litter from beaches so that they could help protect turtles and other sea life.”




As a founder member of the Richard III Society, (Devon and Cornwall branch), travelling, learning Spanish and researching Family History, I led a fairly busy life. But after retiring, and looking for some kind of ‘hobby’, I met the amazing Pat Smith, whose enthusiasm, and drive to halt this ‘plague of plastic’, really opened my eyes to the terrible damage being done to our environment.
Being able to complete some tasks to ‘help out’ for Final Straw Cornwall, is my small contribution to a huge problem, aided and abetted by my very patient husband, Roger! Between us all, we will, hopefully, make a difference!
Latest News & Events
Keep connected with us to see what’s happening at Final Straw Cornwall HQ, what events we have coming up and what our very own Pat Smith has been up to!

News
What's going on in the world of plastic pollution?FIND OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT PLASTIC & THE FINAL STRAW CAMPAIGN

Events
We can often be found at events around Cornwall. Check out where we will be...CLICK TO FIND OUT ABOUT FINAL STRAW'S LATEST EVENTS AND COLLABORATIONS

Pat's Blog
What has Pat been up to recently?!Pat has been incredibly active with beach cleans, Final Straw talks and litter picks.
Trusted Partners
There is strength in numbers and there are many other closely aligned organisations and campaigns working tirelessly to make a better world and supporting Final Straw Cornwall, so collaboration is a huge part of reaching our main goal. Thank you to you all!