Big Paddle Cleanup is a big deal!

On Thursday 29 May we joined forces with Paddle UK and Sport England for a Big Paddle Cleanup event on the River Lea, next door to Lee Valley White Water Centre.

Paris 2024 Olympians Kimberley Woods, Adam Burgess and Mallory Franklin, joined fellow athletes and volunteers to help collect rubbish from the River Lee Navigation and raise awareness of the importance of clean waterways.

Five Lee Valley volunteers were part of the team which collected 10 sacks of rubbish, a dumped bicycle, bits of fiberglass and even animal skull and shoulder blade.

The efforts were captured by media including BBC London, ITV London, Greatest Hits Radio and AFP (Agence France-Presse). Lee Valley volunteer Gill Kirk was a fantastic ambassador speaking to media about the vital work that volunteers do to collect litter in the area.

Here’s a few highlights… In River Lee Country Park last year (2024) over 60 volunteers helped with litter picking. They spent a whopping 1,700 hours collecting 20 skips worth of litter. This litter can, and often is, blown into waterways.

A huge thank you to Gill, along with Lee Valley volunteers Boubkeur Akeb, John Waterhouse, Kate Tudor and Murray Scott for all their hard work on the day and continued commitment to the Authority.

The River Lee Navigation, which is owned and managed by Canal & River Trust, runs through the length of the park and has key interactions with many of our sites including Ramey Marsh, Tottenham Marshes and Walthamstow Marshes, it also connects both sides of the River Lee Country Park. Many of these sites, including the wider River Lee Country Park, are important areas for wildlife and include Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and key local nature areas. The water from the Navigation can enter the SSSIs and ditches across the park so it’s vital to maintain water quality.