Thank you to our weekend river volunteers!

Thank you to the group of volunteers who joined BPP’s first monthly Sunday session of 2024.

Thames21 welcomed back regular volunteers and new locals who all worked hard throughout the day to help improve the Ravensbourne River here in Beckenham Place Park.

The morning session started with a Riverfly demonstration at our Water Quality drop in event with the Environment Agency showing what Riverfly is alive in the river and what that means. Volunteers then spent 90 minutes in the river clearing litter from the water and riverbanks while wading upstream through the park.

The afternoon session was task focussed to make a positive change to the riverbank. The team pruned trees and hacked back vegetation in preparation for creating dead hedges. The dead hedges will be used to protect parts of the riverbank from further erosion where people and dogs have used to banks to access the water, by preventing access for a short period while the bank repairs itself

More on the work Thames21 will be doing in the river and on our banks in our next article. We’ll share the topics discussed at the Water Quality drop in and what Thames21, with volunteers, will be doing to help improve the water quality.  

The weekend volunteer session is every third Sunday and everyone is welcome including local organisations, groups and children and young people.

Visit Thames21 to find out how you can join a Tuesday or Sunday session and become part of the Downham River Action Group here If you’d like to join a volunteer session or have any questions about training in river action, please email Catriona, Beckenham Place Park Engagement Officer, at bppriver@thames21.org.uk.