Record volunteer turnout on the Ravensbourne

The largest number of volunteers Thames21 has ever had for a single day clean-up on any stretch of the Ravensbourne turned out at Manor Park, Lewisham on Saturday.

A total of 50 people joined forces to collect nearly 40 bags of rubbish, in a joint event between Lewisham Arts Café and Thames21.

Thames21 has been running clean-ups on the Ravensbourne for 12 years. For this event, they formed a partnership with the Arts Café, which is running a series of family activities.

Volunteers turned out from fitness group GoodGym Lewisham, Quaggy Waterways Action Group, Ravensbourne Riverfly, Friends of Manor Park, Forest School and the Hither Green community.

Plywood was a common item found in the river by those who donned waders and wellies, while others stuck to cleaning up the park. The event was run by Lawrence Beale Collins, catchment partnership co-ordinator for the Ravensbourne, who put the high turn-out down to our partnership with the arts café.

Thames21 will be running further clean ups on the Ravensbourne, the first this Saturday at Brookmill Park, a fantastic space for spotting birds, and others on Monday March 27 and Sunday April 2 at Sutcliffe Park, Eltham.

Later in the year, from June 3-24, cleaning up the Ravensbourne will feature in the Three Rivers Clean Up, an intensive campaign to improve South East London’s rivers. This will also concentrate on the Pool and Quaggy.