Thames 21's Adopt a River scheme

Over the Christmas break Giles Coren, a columnist on The (London) Times, donated his £12,450 winnings from a special edition of The Weakest Link tv show to a charity called Thames 21, which works to clean up the River Thames.

Activities of Thames 21 include running an innovative Adopt a River scheme where groups of volunteers help to clean up a stretch of river, research into which bits of the river are in the greatest need of cleaning, and co-funding the work of the Port of London Authority's Debris Clearance Operation which involves two mobile vessels sweeping the surface of the water and removing cars + shopping trolleys from the intertidal foreshore. This clearance operation removes up to 1,000 tonnes of waste, and costs about £500,000, per annum.

With assistance from representatives of each of their partner organisations, Thames 21 also helps to ensure enforcement of the complex laws governing the deposit + storage of waste in and around rivers and canals by channeling information they collect about waste management offences to the appropriate authorities.

Well done to Giles, and keep up the good work Thames 21!