Thames Cleanup

The Group organised and participated in a nominated stretch of River Thames Clean Up on the 7th May enlisting the help of students and teachers from Burnham Grammar School and from Cookham and Upper Thames sailing clubs. The day was a success, recovering a big quantity of flotsam from the river and a significant amount of rubbish from the riverbanks between Spade Oak Reach and Cookham Bridge. The 14 students from Burnham Grammar threw themselves (not into the river) into the project with enthusiasm and the teachers proclaimed it a great exercise giving the students a first taste of volunteering. We have since built on the relationship with Burnham Grammar Impact Group through April and Rainer visiting them and giving a presentation about plastic good and bad. The feedback has been that the Impact Group members were motivated to know that adults are as concerned as they are about the plastic waste problem. Following Gareth forwarding the details we have sent to the Group information about the Rotary Young Environmentalist competition and received a positive response. We will now follow up hoping to identify ways and means that we can offer support to the Group as they consider entering and hopefully beyond. A further Thames Clean Up event planned for 17^th September was postponed until the new year in recognition of the mourning period following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.