Big Paddle Cleanup 2025
The Big Paddle Cleanup returned in May and June for two weeks of action on our waterways. Paddle UK’s environmental campaign, supported by Decathlon, is a chance to celebrate the great work paddlers do in helping to keep our waterways free of rubbish.
We’ve been blown away by the amount of support and coverage it received this year. If you participated, thank you for your hard work and commitment to protecting our blue spaces. We have calculated that approximately 4,228 volunteers took part, with 2,129 sacks of rubbish removed from waterways.
We know so many more of you told us you were taking part, so if you still haven’t logged your cleanup, there is still time. Several Olympians and Paralympians took part in Big Paddle Cleanup events held at Lee Valley and in Nottingham. Adam Burgess, Paris 2024 silver medallist, took part in cleaning up the River Lee, which is located next to his training base at Lee Valley White Water Centre.
“It’s been nice to get out on the water and do something different, give a little bit back to the waterways,” he said. “It’s only right that we’re here to give something back.
“All volunteers taking part in the [Big Paddle Cleanup] are doing great work to clean up our waterways.”
The team collected 10 sacks of rubbish, as well as a discarded bicycle, pieces of fibreglass, and even an animal skull and shoulder blade. Reporters and camera crews arrived from the BBC and ITV to cover the event. Adam was interviewed on BBC London’s teatime news programme.
In Nottingham, a team of Paddle UK staff, along with Paralympian gold medal winners Charlotte Henshaw MBE and Emma Wiggs MBE, as well as silver medalist Jack Eyers, all contributed to the cleanup. Paracanoe team members Jonathan Young and Stuart Wood also plucked rubbish from the canal.
BBC Sport filmed the event, and Charlotte Henshaw later appeared on the BBC Breakfast sofa to discuss the Big Paddle Cleanup. Charlotte was interviewed by BBC presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt. “The water is a solace for many people,” the Paralympian told them. “The things we were seeing in there, the amount of rubbish and pollution, potentially is going to put off so many people.”
Many other events took place across the UK, including our flagship event in Royal Sutton Coldfield. Approximately 60 people, including a team from Decathlon, participated in the cleanup on the canal near Brownhills Canoe Centre. Paddlers were excited when they saw a female roe deer chewing grass on the canal side, unperturbed by the activity of the water.
Decathlon has been fully behind the great work paddlers do in helping keep our waterways free of rubbish. They supported the cleanup by providing food and refreshments, as well as gifts for the volunteers. A new paddleboard was kindly donated to the club.
Log what you find
Please don’t forget to log what you’ve found. It’s really important. Please click on this link and input what you found during your cleanup: https://paddleuk.org.uk/paddle-cleanups-map-and-upload/
