River Clean Up Sonning to Shiplake Saw Records Tmble

This year the Thames River Clean-up was joined by 45 amazing volunteers including 20 local children.

In the searing sunshine, groups helping out this year, in addition to village locals, included Shiplake College pupils and staff, Shiplake Vikings Rowing Club and the Shiplake Outloars.

18 small boats launched between Shiplake Lock and Sonning- small wooden rowing boats, inflatable canoes, Canadian canoes and two small motorised dinghies to help move the bigger rubbish items.

Over 30 bags of rubbish and other bulky items were hauled from the river and removed to the EA refuse barge by Shiplake Lock. Volunteers worked hard in the boiling hot weather.

Organiser, Guy Fisher said: “The 2018 River Clean Up found stacks of plastic bottles, several shoes, lighters, metal cans, underwear and even a ring still in its box! If you recognise it, let us know!  Thanks so much to everyone who came to help this year especially Shiplake College for use of their river front and extra canoes. I’ll definitely plan another  in 2019 and I urge other river lovers to organise clean up’s along their stretch of the river.

“We noticed that plastic bags have reduced significantly, so we can only assume that the new legislation is beginning to work. Hopefully the government will usher in more quickly the banning of plastic bottles and plastic food packaging (which sinks to the river bed).”

Visit https://shiplake.outloars.club/2018clean for more details