Paddle UK launches Big Paddle Cleanup Crowdfunder campaign

Paddle UK is crowdfunding £50,000 to grow its Big Paddle Cleanup campaign and equip even more people to help protect our blue spaces.

Since 2022, thousands of paddlers have been provided with pickers, gloves and sacks to take action on our waterways. Thanks to Big Paddle Cleanup volunteers, about 14,000 single-use plastic bottles have been removed from rivers and canals alone. However, due to the high demand for kit and the massive support for the campaign, many are left disappointed.

With crowdfunding, we hope to double last year’s availability and equip 150 more community groups with the tools they need. This would see 500 community groups able to protect their local blue spaces from the impacts of junk and plastic pollution.

Chantelle Grundy, Paddle UK’s Access and Environment Lead, said: “We are always blown away by the efforts of volunteers during the Big Paddle Cleanup. There’s so much more we can do to help our precious waterways, and we know so many more people want to help. With more funding, we can give community groups, paddlers and other volunteers the tools they need to improve precious blue spaces.”

To donate, please visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/big-paddle-cleanup, which will be active until the end of March.

In 2024, 3,699 amazing volunteers collected 1,888 sacks of plastic waste and other junk from our precious waterways.

Paddlers are in a unique position to collect litter from places others cannot access. Your efforts help raise public awareness about plastic pollution and the damage caused to our blue spaces.

How to get involved
Clearing your local canal or river of junk can be hugely beneficial, and not just for the environment. Participating in a Paddle Cleanup can also be great for your mental well-being. Here are a few tips to help you organise your paddle cleanup with family, friends or colleagues.

Gather friends or family and make a plan
Firstly, consider where you want to do it and any barriers you may face. Do you need a river licence for that stretch of river, for example? Consider whether carrying out a clean on your chosen waterway is safe. Completing a risk assessment is key to ensuring you prepare for all risks.

Think about equipment
Setting off with all the kit you’ll need is essential. Here is a quick checklist of our must-haves:

• Gloves.
• Bags/buckets.
• Hand sanitisers.
• Litter pickers.
• First aid kit.
• Sharps box.
• Plan a date and time to meet.

Remember, not everyone needs to be on the water, people can clean up the banks from paths and walkways next to the water.

Promote your event
Social media is an excellent tool for promoting a cleanup. You can reach new people outside your usual group, making the event even bigger. Make sure to tag Paddle UK and use #BigPaddleCleanUp on your posts.

Please tell your local MP and newspapers
Make sure your local MP knows. Invite them along to help out. If they accept, make sure you reach out and let us know! Write to them after the cleanup, telling them the difference you’ve made and how much rubbish you have taken away. It is important they know about the great work going on.

You can also reach out to local news outlets, such as local newspapers, radio stations, and Regional TV. They love good news stories about people doing great things. We aren’t saying they will definitely get back to you or report on your cleanup, but who knows?

Tell us about your cleanup
Once you’ve disposed of the rubbish properly, cleaned your kit and hands, and had a well-earned drink, let us know what you found! We love to know how many bags of rubbish people clear from our waterways. Upload your Paddle Cleanup to our map here: https://paddleuk.org.uk/paddle-cleanups-map-and-upload/.

We share as many stories as possible. So why not send us a quick write-up along with some photos to mediaenquiries@paddleuk.org.uk.

We collate all the information you send us to support cleaning up our waterways, including the shocking statistics about what people find in cleanups each year.
Good luck! We hope this year’s Big Paddle Cleanup is the biggest yet.