Waterway Pickers Staines

We live next to the river Thames and we have spent some time on the water. We are seeing an increasing amount of rubbish: plastic, food containers, traffic cones, tires, fishing gear, etc. In 2020 we started a conservation/environmental community group, the Waterway Pickers Staines. We have organised regular clean-ups of the local waterways to protect wildlife and bring awareness to the pollution that our species is forcing upon the environment.

The money raised so far has been used to purchase paddles, buoyancy aids, and safety equipment, so we can get active, out on the water, and give our waterways new life.

Last year we cycled the River Thames from its source to the Thames Barrier. It was a journey of over 184 miles long and it took us 7 days. We wild camped along the route and each evening we litter picked around our campsite in and out of the water.

This year, on the 27th & 28th of May 2023, we will retrieve shopping trolley number 100 from the local rivers in Staines. This event will coincide with “Plasticblitz” by Thames 21 and with “The Big Paddle Cleanup 2023” by British Canoeing.

We aim to commission the creation of a sculpture of some sort from 'Trolley No.100' and have it on display in our town. I am partnering with the charities Intercultural Roots and Third Sector Renewables to raise funds for an installation surrounding the issue of the relationship between Humans and Nature and how we can regain our connection in positive and constructive ways. We need funds to help with the cost of commissioning sculptor Ptolemy, who will transform the extracted trolleys into beautiful animals found in our waterways. The donations for this commission are match-funded by Aviva Community Fund here, under the "reward" called Water Pickers Staines. Only 20 days left.

Ptolomy

Ultimately, we are now planting the seeds for the next step in this journey: to give educational workshops and inspire local schools and community groups, raising awareness and understanding of the damage that plastic pollution and other rubbish do to our environment.

We feel very passionate about this project and the positive implications that it can have for the future.