Contact Us
For general enquiries, please contact the main office. For something more specific, please find the relevant office or team member below.
Main Office:
The City of London,
Guildhall,
Aldermanbury Street,
LONDON EC2V 7HH
Postal Address
The City of London,
Guildhall,
PO Box 270,
LONDON EC2P 2EJ
Satellite Office:
Thames21, The Lock Office, Bow Locks, Navigation Road, London E3 3JY
For corporate volunteering enquiries contact us via email
For Head Office enquiries email us at info@thames21.org.uk
For all media enquiries, please contact us at email
Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre:
Birchen Grove, Kingsbury, London, NW9 8RY
Email: welshharpcentre@thames21.org.uk
The Team
Thames21 has a core team of full time staff members, several committed delivery support staff and thousands of public volunteers. Please look down the list and contact the most appropriate person.

Chief Executive
Chris is chief executive at Thames21. Prior to this, he was deputy chief executive and head of engagement and learning. Before joining Thames21, Chris worked as the Education Coordinator at the London Aquarium, and he has worked as a warden on marine wildlife reserves along the coast of Dorset and Cornwall. He is one of the world’s greatest rockpoolers.

Head of Improving Rivers
John is head of river improvements at Thames21. He came to Thames21 from the Environment Agency, where he worked for seven years leading river restoration, wetland, and SuDS projects. He may be appeased with offerings of cricket bats and tea.

Head of Engagement and Learning
Simon has over thirty years’ experience working in the Third Sector. He has worked for a broad range of charities managing and delivering services in homelessness, mental health, community development and community education. He recently completed a BSc in Environmental Studies with the Open University. Outside of work, he enjoys walking and cycling, a favourite trip being a stroll along the Lea from Walthamstow Marches to Limehouse and the Thames.

Head of HR
A born and bred Londoner, Adam has lived by the Thames for over 20 years and sees the river as a place of interest, education and sanctuary. Adam has an MSc in HR Development from London South Bank University and is an Associate member of the CIPD and comes to Thames 21 with almost 20 years HR experience, working mainly in SMEs within different sectors and industries. Outside of Thames21, Adam volunteers his HR services to a small education charity and loves going to the gym, cooking and catching up on another drama on Netflix!

Head of Fundraising
Alison has worked across a variety of roles in marketing and fundraising across all sectors. She is a founder member of the Pymmes BrookERS, a community group that works to restore the Pymmes and Salmons Brooks. She loves walking London’s rivers and wild swimming and is usually happiest in a kayak.

Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager
Emma has a varied background across the public and not-for-profit sectors to draw on for writing fundraising bids, including 3 years in higher education, over a decade in a local authority and time volunteering for several small charities. She is a (very) amateur trumpet player, an excellent cake-maker and enjoys making the most of living in the beautiful South Downs.

Corporate Partnerships Manager
Tom brings a wealth of commercial and practical experience to Thames21. Previously Head of Business Development at an international publishing house, co-founder of Lea Boaters Collective, and a successful marine carpenter, he is at home in boardrooms and boats alike. He lives on a historic narrowboat with his yoghurt-pot enthusiast, Grey.

Corporate Volunteering Officer
David joined Thames21 in early 2022 after stints at London Wildlife Trust and South East Rivers Trust. David studies dragonflies and damselflies, plus having worked across London on a variety of river and wetland projects. He is very keen to apply this knowledge to his new role. When not working David can be found hiking or walking by his local river or basket weaving with some locally sourced willow. To find out more about Thames21’s corporate volunteering see here: https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporateteamdays

Corporate Volunteering Manager
Rachel is the Corporate Volunteering Manager at Thames21. She has enjoyed a varied career across the not-for-profit sector, working with corporates to create impactful social and environmental programmes that engage employees. She loves the outdoors and singing. Often combining the two, singing nursery rhymes with her daughter exploring the Kent countryside. Her much-loved dog always comes along for the adventure!

Officer Manager
Vahide came to Thames21 after volunteering for foreshore clean ups. She has worked for the Carbon Trust and before that at Bateaux London luxury boat cruises on the Thames; so she is happy to be back by the river again. Vahide loves being outdoors, gardening, cooking, crafting and trying to lead a life kind to nature and wildlife while encouraging others to do the same.

Communications Manager
Liz has more than 14 years’ experience working as a journalist on environmental trade titles including Packaging News, ENDS Europe and Materials Recycling World. She has written extensively about resource management issues and the circular economy. She shares the exciting stories that form part and parcel of Thames21’s work. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from City University. She grew up near the River Thames and took regular trips to the foreshore as a child. When her out of office is on, Liz can be found running, enjoying time with her family and friends, or attending music gigs.

Communications Officer
Brazilian turned Londoner, Manuela has over five years of experience working as a writer and copywriter across a variety of organisational sizes within digital media, including international outlets and startups. Her passion for scuba diving, marine animals, and everything water-related has led her on the conservation path. Manuela will work closely with the team to promote their projects. She’s happiest underwater, by the sea, or travelling (or even better, combining everything in a diving trip).





Plastic Free Mersey Project Officer

Catchment Partnership Development Manager
Will graduated from University College London in 2018 with a master’s degree in Aquatic Science. Here he specialised in freshwater ecology and restoration and completed his dissertation on the effect of microhabitat availability on fish distribution within a Norfolk chalk stream. Will has previously worked as a freshwater ecologist for a consultancy firm. He enjoys fishing, running and playing football.

Catchment Partnership Development Officer
Rebecca graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2020 with a degree in Geography. She has an interest in fluvial and marine sciences and completed her dissertation on the effects of climate change on a tributary of the River Lea. Rebecca has previously worked for Thames21 on the Woodland Creation Project in Enfield as part of our Woodland Planting team. She will be supporting the Catchment Partnerships Team, working mainly in the Brent and London Lea catchments. She enjoys travel and exploring new places, a good sunset, and spending time with friends and family.

Catchment Partnership Development Officer
Sarah graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc Geography degree, where previous projects have taken her from the Yorkshire Dales to Costa Rican rainforests. During her studies, she specialised in freshwater ecosystems and completed her dissertation on the effects of airport drainage on local water quality and macroinvertebrate assemblages. At Thames21, Sarah will be supporting the Catchment Partnership Team, primarily working within the Maidenhead to Teddington and South Chilterns catchments. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, music gigs, reading and any form of dance.

Catchment Partnership Development Officer
Joel graduated from Newcastle University with a master’s degree in environmental engineering. He has a keen interest in nature-based solutions and rewilding and his dissertation explored natural methods to remediate the effects of climate change on coastal erosion. Joel has experience working as an Environmental Engineer for an engineering design consultancy. Outside of work, he enjoys photography, film, climbing and live music and will find any excuse to get into the great outdoors.

Catchment Partnership Development Officer
Prior to joining Thames21, Hannah worked at the Kent Wildlife Trust where she delivered a number of wetland habitat creation and enhancement projects. She is passionate about wildlife conservation, and has great knowledge about wetland ecology. She covers the Brent catchment area.

Beckenham Place Park Engagement
Catriona’s role as Beckenham Place Park Engagement Officer is to connect with the communities local to the eastern side of BPP, and lead on engagement and volunteering activities around the Ravensbourne River. Catriona previously worked in events and communications and, since moving to Lewisham with her family, has been focussing on working within her local community. Happiest spending time outdoors with friends and family in the green spaces and along the rivers in Lewisham, Catriona loves to work out new ways to bring these places, people and spaces together for the betterment of everyone!

Project Officer (Combined: Community Eel Officer, Evidence Officer & Catchment Partnerships)
Philippa (also known as Philly) completed an MSc in Conservation at UCL in September 2020. Her dissertation focused on the current status of the Thames Basin’s eel population, which cemented her strong interest in eels and freshwater ecosystems. Prior to this role, Philippa was working at a London-based sustainability consultancy as an Assistant Ecologist and volunteering with multiple environmental charities. She loves anything to do with aquatic environments, anything to do with her dogs, spending time with her family and friends and playing hockey.

Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre Education Officer
Deb develops and delivers the fun and interactive education programme to school groups and the local community at the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre in West London. Initially trained as a Geographical Information Systems Analyst in Australia, Deb moved to London and soon discovered her love for working with children in the outdoors.

Rural Solutions Programme Manager
Steve started working with the Environment Agency in South West England on their water quality monitoring programmes, but move to London and is pursuing his career in natural flood management. A keen surfer and cyclist, if he’s not found near water, he’ll be out trekking in the mountains somewhere in the world.

Bathing Water Development Officer
Aggie has broad experience in conservation, having worked in woodland and river restoration in New Zealand and London. She is also currently undertaking a part-time MSc in Ecology and Sustainability at the Centre for Alternative Technology, with a focus on political ecology and outdoor swimming. She enjoys playing, coaching and watching football, and all-season outdoor swimming.

Oxford Rivers Project Officer
Claire is a freshwater researcher and a community organiser who lives on a canal boat in Oxford. She works on the Oxford Rivers Project, which uses citizen science and community action to challenge water companies, authorities and others to clean up the rivers in and around Oxford. She has an undergraduate degree in Biology, a masters in Environmental Policy and a PhD in Freshwater Ecology. Before working for Thames21, she worked on climate change campaigns and in environmental education. She loves wild swimming (of course), hiking, nature spotting and all kinds of folk and world music.
AJ joined Thames21 in 2015 from the Institute of European Environmental Policy where he worked on biodiversity policy. Interested in grassroots work and urban ecology, AJ delivered the Trout in the Classroom project for the Wandle Trust alongside his policy duties for two years. He plays guitar in a band, these days mostly restricted to friends’ weddings.

Community Engagement Manager
Rosa’s role as Community Engagement Officer for Thames River Watch is to listen to marginalised communities close to the Thames learn how to improve access to the river. Rosa’s previous role was setting up a community dementia therapy programme in Camden and before that she was a teacher in Spain and the UK. Rosa is interested in the power of community organising to impact positive political change through bringing people together to realise their collective power. Rosa enjoys playing football, exploring London by bike and cooking.

Thames Volunteer Engagement Officer
Before joining Thames21, Felicity previously worked at Toynbee Hall, Providence Row, and Stepney City Farm, in fundraising, and volunteer leadership roles. She has a PhD in isotope geochemistry. This involved looking at how the chemistry of rocks can inform one’s understanding of past ocean oxygen conditions. She lives in East London, and enjoys getting out for long walks along the Thames. When Felicity is not at work, she is most likely to be ballroom dancing, or visiting one of London’s many City Farms.

Thames Monitoring Officer
Chloe has spent the last few years researching microplastic pollution. She recently gained an MRes in environmental toxicology with her thesis focusing on microplastic contamination of ponds and common toad tadpoles situated within a range of different land use types. In her role, she will focus on monitoring sewage-derived plastic pollution, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of different methods for plastic removal. In her spare time, Chloe enjoys spending time with friends going for walks in the countryside, trying new food, and playing board games.

Engagement Officer
Toby’s role involves running community-led river engagement and monitoring events across the Tidal Thames. Before he came to Thames21, Toby worked with environmental charity The Conservation Volunteers, supporting, and managing volunteers on community and conservation events in Croydon. He has also previously worked as a mental health support worker and an English teacher in South Korea. In his spare time, he enjoys cycle touring, wild camping and playing ‘ultimate frisbee’.

Thames Connections Project Coordinator
Prior to joining Thames21, Matthew worked in the homeless sector reconnecting rough sleepers with resettlement, recovery and network support strategies. By recognising the strength of collective action that empowers individuals, Matt is keen to bring such engagement strategies to Thames21. In his role, he will be listening to marginalised communities and learning how to increase local access and engagement with the river. Matthew enjoys the outdoors, competitive running, reading and going to watch football.

Engagement Officer
Steph’s role involves engaging local community groups around the Tidal Thames and River Roding to establish a positive ongoing relationship between Londoners and their blue spaces. Before joining Thame21, she worked at the Bat Conservation Trust, focusing on outreach to underrepresented and marginalised community groups across England to educate and foster their appreciation for bats and nature. Steph enjoys reading, creating wildlife illustrations, and volunteering in her local community.

Engagement Officer
Sam first came across Thames21 about six years ago when she started volunteering in her local park at a river clean-up, which is an event she now leads. Through a Thames21 course, she became an ESC (Event Support Contractor) gaining a lot of experience supporting a wide variety of events. Sam joined the Thames River Watch team in July this year where she now runs community-led river engagement and surveys across the Thames. She enjoys cooking, yoga, being in nature, local volunteering and film extra work.

Engagement Officer
Lula is an Engagement Officer. Prior to joining Thames21, she completed an Undergraduate (SOAS) and MRes (Goldsmiths) in Anthropology specialising material culture of bedrooms and environmental exploitation of terrestrial and extraterrestrial landscapes. She has worked as a librarian, gardener, prop designer and activities coordinator with elderly and disabled adults across London. She enjoys creating ponds, taking care of her pet shrimps and elaborate fancy dress.

River Restoration Manager
Carolina is an environmental scientist specialised in freshwater management and river restoration. She works in the areas of research, diagnosis, monitoring and recovery of degraded aquatic environments. In her free time she enjoys practising yoga, bike rides, wild swimming and loves experimenting with companion planting in her garden working out which plants help each other to grow.

River Restoration Officer
Miguel has an MSc in Water Resources Management. Having previously worked at the South East Rivers Trust, he has experience working on river restoration projects, habitat enhancement initiatives, and catchment-scale schemes, including sustainable drainage systems and natural flood management. His interest in nature and conservation comes from his home’s (Colima, Mexico) luscious tropical forests and rivers. In London, he enjoys cycling and exploring the wild city and its surroundings.

River Restoration Officer
Tyler completed an MSc in Conservation at UCL in September 2022. His dissertation examined the environmental governance of Snowdonia National Park, which motivated him to work towards connecting people with the nature at their doorstep. Before this, Tyler was leading conservation workdays with the London Wildlife Trust and volunteering with St John Ambulance. He’s a fan of podcasts and pop music.

River Restoration Officer
Jo graduated from Cambridge University in 2022 where she loved punting on the River Cam. Her degree in Geography allowed her to complete her dissertation on modelling the effectiveness of leaky barriers. Since then, she worked for a trade association which represented the biogas industry, so she has experience in circular economies, nutrient flows and agriculture. In her spare time, she likes to go to the gym, watch football and volunteer at her local permaculture garden.

Brent Rivers’ Engagement and Restoration Support Officer
Michael comes from a construction background and prior to that he worked for the Metropolitan Police. His role was focused on community engagement, and neighbourhood policing. He hopes to bring his experience and training to Thames21 to build lasting volunteer relationships, so the Brent River residents and users can enjoy a legacy of healthy rivers stewarded by the people.
He is a keen amateur fisherman and wild forager. He has always been very passionate about our wild spaces, especially the rivers and waterways. Michael can often be found fishing, all year round, and will be found wild foraging in the autumn for nuts, berries, mushrooms and wild herbs. It is this passion for the wild that has lead Michael to Thames21 where he hopes to grow his knowledge of ecology.

Empower Rivers Programme Manager
Sam has worked in wildlife conservation since 2009 and is passionate about connecting people with the nature on their doorstep. Before coming to Thames21 he worked for London Wildlife Trust on the Great North Wood project, a woodland restoration and community engagement initiative based in south London. He enjoys painting, wild swimming and seeing live music.

Acting Evidence Manager
Jack works as an Evidence Officer on the EMPOWER project, aiming to scale the impact of monitoring data collected through citizen science. Before joining Thames21, Jack worked in consulting as a hydrologist and GIS expert, specialising on projects looking to scale the implementation of nature-based solutions. He adores Lord of the Rings, climbing (trees and rocks) and swimming (rivers and sea).



Evidence Project Officer
Lucy has joined the Evidence team after recently graduating from Queen Mary University of London with an MSc in Water and Environmental Management. Lucy’s interest in the freshwater environment started during her undergrad at Leeds University studying Geography with Environmental Mathematics where she specialised in Hydrology. She is passionate about solving pollution issues within the environment, especially using Nature Based Solutions and is excited to participate on projects such as SYMBIOREM where this can be demonstrated. She is also looking forward to continuing working on the road runoff tool following her recent dissertation where she analysed rain gardens in Enfield to validate the Thames21 model. Lucy’s love for water was really enhanced after living on the ocean for two years whilst she sailed around the world. She loves to get out into nature and be by water, whether that’s hiking, swimming, sailing, diving or skiing.

Graduate Evidence Officer
Harrison joined the Evidence Team as a recent graduate from the University of Nottingham, where he completed his master’s in Environmental Leadership and Management, as well as an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science. His final thesis focused on the post-monitoring of a river restoration project on the Isle of Wight. During his time at university, he also completed internships at an ecological consultancy and at the Trent Rivers Trust, where he investigated the recovery of salmon populations. He is currently involved in multiple projects related to monitoring road runoff and wetland bioremediation. Harrison has strong interests in aquatic ecology, botany, and water quality. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking trips and playing (admittedly bad) chess.