Community river clean-up

The Wandle Trust is hosting one of its regular community river cleanups in Earlsfield on Sunday 13 October. They say:

"The water in the River Wandle is now some of the cleanest in London, but the river has been treated as a flowing dustbin for at least the last 150 years. Unfortunately, many people still use it as a place to dispose of things they don’t want.

That’s why we hold regular community cleanups at different points up and down the river, at 11.00am on the second Sunday of every month, to improve the environment for birds, fish, insects and local people. Click here to see some of the results of our work!

Everyone involved is a volunteer, and we usually collect at least a lorry full of rubbish within about 4 hours, before enjoying a well-earned drink at the nearest pub. We’re immensely grateful to our partners at the local London Boroughs of Croydon, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth for taking the rubbish away for us afterwards – and for helping us recycle some of it too.

We provide waders, plus protective gloves and First Aid facilities, but please bring your own wellies if you have them, and wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and possibly wet."

So if you've been pained by the sight of shopping trolleys, tyres, and road cones where there should be ducks, fish, and herons, head down to the Haslemere Industrial Estate, Ravensbury Terrace, SW18 4RL at 11am on Sunday 13 October.