In the Media

A selection of recent media coverage of our work:

4 October 2023

Clean rivers campaigner praises citizen scientists

Henley Standard

About 40 people celebrated the work of citizen scientists at an event at the River & Rowing Museum in Henley. They also took part in a water quality testing session with a woman who is walking from the source of the River Thames to the sea and had stopped off specially.

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1 October 2023

Volunteers count wet wipes on bank of River Thames

BBC Online

Hoards of wet wipes have been counted and removed from a section of the Thames in west London as part of a charity research project. Volunteers gathered at Hammersmith Bridge on Sunday for the Big Wet Wipe Count, organised by Thames21.

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26 September 2023

Volunteers needed to assess wet wipe ‘island’ in River Thames

The Chiswick Calendar

Thames21, the charity dedicated to enhancing London’s waterways, is once again extending an invitation to resilient volunteers to roll up their sleeves to asses the wet wipe mound accumulating near Hammersmith Bridge in the River Thames.

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20 September 2023

WI supports campaign against pollution of our rivers

Henley Standard

About 25 people joined the women at their stall in The Arcade in Goring on Saturday to raise awareness of the National Federation of WIs’ Clean Rivers campaign run in conjunction with the charity River Action UK.

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4 September 2023

Ashden Awards finalists announced – UK pioneers tackling urgent climate change

Local Authority Building & Maintenance

Climate charity Ashden has revealed the finalists for its 2023 awards — pioneers delivering an inclusive, sustainable future.

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11 August 2023

Cigarette butts are killing animals and polluting waters in the UK

International Business Time

Cigarette butts are one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution in the UK, with the number of cigarette butts being found in rivers exceeding the amount of plastic litter.

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6 August 2023

Trustee Dr Michelle Yaa Asantewa appears on Sunday Morning Live

BBC

Asantewa appeared on BBC’s Sunday Morning Live discussing our Mama Osun/Thames21 annual team up.

Watch here

17 June 2023

How you can help save Britain’s rivers by becoming a citizen scientist

New Scientist Online

As part of New Scientist’s Save Britain’s Rivers campaign, we’ve rounded up the most interesting citizen science projects that share our ambitions to protect and restore these vital waters. Here’s how you can help.

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27 May 2023

Rivers Week keeps water pressure high for climate change

Inside Croydon

Policymakers, water companies, businesses, industry and the public in London will all need to work together help to protect London’s rivers in order for them to be better prepared to tackle the impacts of droughts and floods brought on by the climate crisis, the organisers of London Rivers Week have said today.

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18 May 2023

River Rom clean-up part of effort to tackle ‘foul water’ problem

Romford Recorder

A clean-up of the River Rom is seeking to address some of the critical problems in local waterways.

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15 May 2023

A new life for London’s lost rivers

BBC Online

Few visitors know that London has 640km of waterways – and there’s a serious movement taking place to restore these “blue corridors” to their former glory.

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04 April 2023

What is the wet wipe ban? Government plans to tackle water pollution

Evening Standard

Wet wipes containing plastic will be banned in England under plans to tackle water pollution, caused by them being flushed down the lavatory.

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10 March 2023

Statement after Defra rejects Wallingford application to be designated as bathing water

South Oxfordshire District Council

We’re extremely disappointed at the government’s decision to not award Bathing Water Status for the River Thames at Wallingford at this stage.

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31 January 2023

New coalition launched to boost community action on plastic pollution

London Post

Environmental charity Thames21 has launched a unique initiative called Plastics Action which will help to upscale the development of grassroots community groups to take action to tackle plastic pollution in rivers across England.

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13 January 2023

Ramping nature-based solutions in North London

Envirotec

A North London flood resilience project has unveiled a new identity and announced plans to use nature-based solutions to tackle flood risk around the Silk Stream – a 2.5-mile tributary of the River Brent.

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12 December 2022

This Is The Grim Reality Of What’s Actually Floating In The Thames

HuffPost (UK)

A new study has revealed what is lurking in the waters of the Thames and frankly, it’s pretty grim.

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25 November 2022

Water companies call for a ban on wet wipes

The Times Online

The government must ban the sale of wet wipes, several of the UK’s biggest water companies have said, claiming it would help solve the dumping of sewage in rivers.

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17 November 2022

North London project plans to ramp up nature-based solutions to tackle flood risk

London Post

A North London flood resilience project has unveiled a new identity and announced plans to use nature-based solutions to tackle flood risk around the Silk Stream – a 2.5-mile tributary of the River Brent.

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15 November 2022

Only official bathing spot on Thames fails tests for bacteria linked to sewage

The Guardian Online

The only official bathing water area on the River Thames has failed tests for bacteria associated with sewage pollution, data shows.

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04 November 2022

World leaders must prioritise focus on rivers at COP27

London Post

World leaders must make the impacts of the Climate Emergency on water and rivers central to the COP27 agenda, environmental charity Thames21 urged.

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25 October 2022

Despite summer droughts Thames Water dumps sewage from storm overflows

Yahoo! News

After the first heavy rain in months, Thames Water dumped sewage from its Oxford treatment works for two days.

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18 October 2022

We’re number one: The Thames has more microplastics than any other river in the world!

Time Out London

London is literally swimming in a sea of rubbish. In more bad news for the capital, the watery jewel in London’s crown, the Thames, reportedly contains more microplastics than any river in the world. Uh oh.

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18 October 2022

Beneath the surface of the Thames lies a graveyard of plastic waste

BBC News

We are on the foreshore of the Thames at low tide in Fulham, right next to Fulham FC’s home, Craven Cottage. The water has gone out very quickly and left behind a very dirty secret. Plastic.

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11 October 2022

Time to wipe out wet wipes from our rivers says Thames21

Inside Croydon

The government needs to ban plastic in wet wipes immediately in order to help tackle this sewage-based pollution ending up in the River Thames, environmental charity Thames21 has urged today.

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22 September 2022

Thames21 launches new Five Year Plan with call for increased collaborative action to get rivers ‘climate-ready’ by boosting nature-based solutions

London TV

Thames21 has announced plans to ramp up its efforts to work with communities and river stakeholders to help develop nature-based solutions in order for the River Thames and its tributaries to be better prepared to tackle the impacts of droughts and floods brought on by the climate crisis.

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16 September 2022

Charity launches a blitz on plastic in Thames and its tributaries

Inside Croydon

Volunteers will take part in the biggest community clean-up of plastic in the River Thames and its tributaries, including the River Wandle, over the next month.

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08 August 2022

Wild thing! Inside the mission to rewild London

Evening Standard

Beavers, voles and acres of new wild flower meadows — the capital’s rewilding revolution has truly begun. 

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18 July 2022

Council to apply for bathing water status in Wallingford

The Herald Series

An application to achieve bathing water status in Wallingford is due to be submitted in October this year.

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12 July 2022

Conservation groups lead call to stop polluting London’s rivers

Inside Croydon

All stakeholders in London need to improve their actions on tackling pollution that ends up in the capital’s rivers and work together to promote climate-resilient river “rewilding” projects.

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26 May 2022

Enfield Woodland project wins a top industry award

Parikiaki

The Enfield Chase Woodland Restoration Project has taken one of the top honours at this year’s London Tree and Woodland Awards.

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06 May 2022

Wild swimmers told: You’ll have to take the plunge first before dirty rivers are cleaned up

The Telegraph

Backlash after minister suggests onus is on public to prove they are already bathing in polluted waterways before the problem can be tackled.

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06 May 2022

What’s deep down in the River Thames

Greatest Hits Radio

A deep dive into the River Thames reveals what’s been discovered under its surface.

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06 May 2022

Restoring the Roding

South Woodford Village Gazette

The Thames21 project is making improvements to the River Roding adjacent to Wanstead Park.

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12 April 2022

Bathing water status given to Oxford river and sea off East Cowes

BBC News

Wolvercote Mill Stream at Port Meadow, Oxford, and the sea off East Cowes Esplanade on the Isle of Wight will be checked to ensure they are safe for swimming.

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12 April 2022

River in Oxford becomes second in England to achieve bathing water status

The Telegraph

The Wolvercote Mill Stream will be regularly monitored for harmful bacterial levels during the swimming season between May and September

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12 April 2022

Port Meadow becomes UK’s second river site to gain bathing status

Envirotec

A stretch of the River Thames at Port Meadow, Oxford, has been designated as an official river bathing location after a nearly two-year long local battle against sewage pollution.

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10 February 2022

Second river swimming site in the UK up for consultation in Oxford – have your say

Outdoor Swimmer

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10 February 2022

Oxford locals could soon swim in part of River Thames polluted by sewage

The Telegraph

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2021

Previous coverage of Thames21 in the media

In the media – 2021