Help Keep The Wandle Clean

Community clean-up this weekend

The Wandle Trust's forthcoming community clean-up of the River Wandle will be one of a number of nationwide activities taking place as part of the Prince of Wales' Start Initiative.

The Trust organises community clean-ups of the River Wandle on the second Sunday of every month, rotating between the boroughs of Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth. The next clean-up is in Merton and it takes place on Sunday September 12 in Ravensbury Park, off Merton Road.

They haven't worked on this location since September 2006, and organisers say the river as well as the banks/footpaths both need work to clean them up.

Depending on numbers, they hope to do the following:

  • Sweep through the park in the river from the Morden Hall Park end to the Bishopsford Road end with volunteers barrowing rubbish to two dump sites
  • Put three or four people into the shallow back channel with one or two people helping retrieve the rubbish and litter picking
  • Have a small dedicated group very carefully removing floating Pennywort which is returning to various parts of the river and the small lake
  • Help the Friends of Ravensbury Park with some vegetation management.

Volunteers are asked to meet at 11am at this point: Click here. Just walk into Ravensbury Park from Bishopsford Road and look out for the Trust's branded gazebo.

The Trust will supply gloves, litter pickers and a number of chest waders. Tough boots, trainers or Wellingtons are recommended for anyone who wants to work on the banks. Everyone should wear old clothes that they don't mind getting dirty, with a change of clothers recommended in case anyone gets wet.

This time the work will finish around 2pm with a picnic provided by two of the volunteers - the Trust's annual way of thanking everyone involved.

The Prince of Wales' Start Campaign is a national initiative launched by The Prince's Charities Foundation in February this year. Its aim is to promote and celebrate sustainable living by helping people across the UK lead more sustainable lives and to show what a cleaner and healthier future could look like. 

For further information about the Trust and its regular clean-ups, email cleanups@wandletrust.org or see www.wandletrust.org.

September 6, 2010