Community Clean-Up

River Thames Foreshore Clean-Up

Thames21, the charity committed to environmental work to clean up London’s rivers, tributaries and canals joined forces with Fulham Football Club and around 100 volunteers from the local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme Coordinators, Bishops Park Coordinating Group, local residents, police officers and Fulham FC staff & supporters to help clean up a section of the foreshore on the banks of the Thames, adjacent to Bishops Park and Craven Cottage, on Saturday 27 June.

The initiative was instigated by officers of the Palace Riverside Safer Neighbourhood Team headed up by PC Nick Ferris.

PC Nick Ferris from the Palace Riverside Safer Neighbourhood Team, said:

“Saturday’s clean-up was a great success. All the team thoroughly enjoyed taking a few hours break from day to day policing responsibilities to get stuck in to such a worthwhile project. It was a real pleasure to work alongside so many of our local residents, friends at Fulham FC, Thames21 and everyone else who joined in the fun.”

Signed Fulham merchandise was offered to volunteers who found the most interesting items with the winner, Rory Andrew, receiving the first prize of a signed Fulham shirt for finding a Victorian Jug. Two runners-up, Oscar Bridge and Andy Moore, will each receive a signed Fulham football for finding a sea lamprey, a rare type of fish which lives in freshwater and seldom found in a river, and a set of false teeth respectively.

Thames 21Rivers Programmes Manager, Chris Coode, added:

“It’s great to see so many local volunteers from this area take part and help improve their local environment. The River Thames is a magnificent resource for all manner of recreational activity and the volunteers today have helped make it a better, cleaner place for humans and wildlife.”

 

Fulham Football Club works regularly with its local community and volunteers’ network and is involved with a river clean-up event each year. The Club’s Community Sports Trust plays an important part in the local area by delivering several programmes in areas of social inclusion, education, healthy living and disability sports.

Fulham Football Club’s Head of Communications and Marketing, Sarah Brookes, said:

"The Thames river clean-up has brought together many volunteers from our local community including many followers of Fulham Football Club. The Craven Cottage Stadium is a unique and wonderful place to watch football and shares its location with many local businesses and residents. I am therefore particularly delighted that so many local people have dedicated their spare time for a worthy cause and share the Club’s desire to sustain a safe and clean environment."