Join a River Clean

While Blue Planet II shone a spotlight on the plastic in our oceans, the state of our rivers is no different.

In just under three hours, Thames21 volunteers collected 4,350 plastic bottles from a site in Rainham. And we removed more than 27,000 wet wipes in a few hours from the Thames foreshore near Hammersmith Bridge.

Enough is enough!

Join a river clean with us and you’ll not only make an immediate visual improvement to the environment, but be helping wildlife while getting a burst of that feel-good factor!

Visit our ‘What’s On’ calendar to join a clean up to remove litter or invasive species from smothering the natural flora and make our rivers a space for both people and wildlife to enjoy.

If you can’t find a clean-up you’d like to attend, consider reaching out to one of our accredited groups:

Thames21 River Action Groups are covered by Thames21’s Public Liability Insurance* and have completed our Leading Action for Healthy Rivers training. These groups are open to new members:

Lower Regents Coalition – Regents Canal between Limehouse and Mile End

Friends of the Shuttle – River Shuttle in Bexley

Full list of other River Action Groups

Cause Corps – Regents Canal at Camden Lock

Friends of Slough Canal – Slough Canal

Friends of the Concrete Barges – Thames foreshore, Rainham

Friends of Foots Cray Meadows – River Cray, Sidcup

Friends of Osterley and Clitheroe Locks – Grand Union Canal, Ealing

Friends of Manor Farm Nature Reserve – Norbury Brook, Croydon

Friends of Rise Park – Rise Park, Romford

Friends of Thornton Heath Rec – Norbury Brook, Croydon

Friends of the Welsh Harp – Welsh Harp in Brent and Barnet

Friends of Headstone Manor Park – Yeading Brook, Harrow

People Against Dirty – Non tidal Thames

Putney Tidy Towpath – The Thames Foreshore & Towpath in Putney

Pymmes Brookers – Pymmes Brook in Barnet and Haringey

Ravensbourne River Rescuers – Lewisham

Riz Boardshorts – Thames foreshore, Barnes and Hammersmith

Royal Holloway Thames Improvement Team – Thames Path in Staines

Stonebridge Lock Coalition – River Lea in Haringey and Waltham Forest

Surge Co – Bow Creek on the Tidal Lea

Tideway – various locations across greater London

Watford in the Water – River Colne in Watford and Bushey

West London Hub – various locations on the Thames foreshore in West London

*Subject to receipt of supporting paperwork