The PLA welcomed a wide variety of applications from community groups, charities, NGOs, academic institutions and other not-for-profit organisations, which applied for grants for environmental projects representing different parts of the river as well as an array of environmental goals, including energy transition to electric, litter clearance, and microplastic filtration.

“Our Thames Environment Fund is one of the ways in which we can support different groups along the tidal Thames who share our ambitions to improve the environment and wildlife within it.”

Following a comprehensive review and assessment of all the applicants, the successful Thames Environmental Fund projects are:

Greenwich Yacht Club for the purchase, installation and testing of three electric outboard boat motors, as well as an outreach initiative to educate members and the community about the benefits of electric outboards.

Award total: £14,355.45

Fulham Reach Boat Club for their plan to engage participants in regular litter-picking sessions and use weekly water quality testing to educate people on river pollution and collect a reliable dataset.

Award total: £2,000.00

South Dock Marina Berth Holders Association for their project that aims to extend the flora introduction in the Greenland Dock Lock Area. With the addition of eight, two-metre square floating planter sections to adjoin the existing line of five, they will create a reed bed of sufficient density to be self-sustaining. An ‘H’ layout will incorporate sheltered areas for bird life.

Award total: £2,500.00

University College of London for their project to research filtration techniques; collecting microplastics from the river Thames and developing a series of three prototypes to quantify their effectiveness.

Award total: £12,500.00

London Wildlife Trust for the purchase of essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), tools, equipment, and materials for the Isleworth Ait volunteering sessions. The funding will also facilitate contract work required on trees on the reserve and improvements to the landing pontoon on the island to improve access.

Award total: £12,130.00

Medway Swale Estuary Partnership for their project that aims to undertake 12, monthly litter clean-ups on six sites across the Thames and Medway Swale Estuaries.

Award total: £2,250.00

Tidey for their project informing groups of students about river pollution and promoting litter-picking, caring for river wildlife, and protecting the river. The project will also involve litter picking events with these students on the foreshore, with data feeding into Thames21’s water pollution database and the PLA’s Cleaning the Thames.

Award total: £2,500.00

The PLA’s Director of Sustainability Grace Rawnsley said:

“As part of our Thames Vision 2050 strategy, we’re working towards the river between Teddington Lock and the North Sea becoming the cleanest it has been since the Industrial Revolution.

“Our Thames Environment Fund is one of the ways in which we can support different groups along the tidal Thames who share our ambitions to improve the environment and wildlife within it.”

CONSULTATION STATEMENT: C01-24

This consultation ran from 15/01/2024 to 16/02/2024. The below statement has been provided to summarise the Port of London Authority’s response.

Thank you for your valuable feedback regarding the planned replacement and upgrade of the lighthouses at Crossness, Coldharbour, and Margaretness. We appreciate your input as an interested stakeholder and understand the importance of ensuring visibility and safety in the new design.

Based on your feedback, we have taken into consideration the concern about the visibility of the proposed drop-down masts compared to the existing lattice structures. To address this, we are exploring ways enhance visibility throughout the day and night. This would ensure that the lighthouses are easily visible to maritime traffic and other stakeholders in the area.

Additionally, we acknowledge your suggestion to keep the paintwork of the masts clean to aid visibility. We will include regular maintenance and cleaning schedules as part of the maintenance plan for the new lighthouses. This will help to maintain the visibility of the masts and ensure that they are easily distinguishable.

Your feedback plays a crucial role in shaping the final decision and ensuring that the proposed replacement and upgrade align with the needs and expectations of all stakeholders involved.

Lyn Kindlen-Funnell
Harbour Master

This statement is also available as a PDF

At the start of the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year, Storm Smith-Suckoo, one of around 60 volunteers based out of Tower Lifeboat Station, the charity’s busiest, charts his multiple links with the river that have taken him around the world.

A family first

“The Thames was the place that my maritime career all started, so it holds a strong personal connection for me.

“I am Second Officer and Relief Chief Officer with Trinity House.

“I joined as a Third Officer and have worked my way through the ranks, completing my Chief Mates Unlimited in June 2022.

“The role involves maintaining aids to navigation, including lighthouses, around the UK coast.

“I am the first member of my family to have links with the river and the world of maritime.

“As a kid, growing up in Charlton, it was not a pathway I would ever have thought to pursue, but it is now central to my life.”

Safety calling

“In July 2013, I was on board the tall ship Astrid when she sank off Cork in Ireland, with lifeboat and helicopter crews helping in the rescue.

“When I was back in London after university, I signed up as a Tower Station volunteer, following a conversation with the commander, Craig Burn, who I had worked with previously.

“For me, it’s a sense of giving back to the maritime community.

“Last year crews from Tower launched 612 times, saving 14 lives.

“As of December 2023, crew have had 10,387 ‘shouts’ since the station opened in January 2002.

“Unlike other RNLI stations, we don’t have a pager system at Tower. It’s crewed 24/7, with the day split into two,12-hour shifts.

“I do a minimum of two shifts per month on average.

“I like to mix it up, sometimes doing nights, sometimes the day shift.

“This year, as I was home in London and off work from my full-time job at Trinity House for the first time in four years over the festive period, I opted to volunteer on both the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve night shifts.

“I clocked off at 6.30am on Christmas morning, and then caught up on a few hours’ sleep, so I could enjoy the festivities.

“On New Year’s Eve, we had a crew dinner at the start of our shift and reflected on the year gone by.

“Our last call of the year came in at 23:47.”

The spice of life

“There is a variety of things to do, whilst on station, from boat and casualty care equipment checks, through to hoovering and cleaning.

“Our priority is always to be ‘boat ready.’

“Some days we will go on patrol on the river whilst carrying out onboard training.

“This might involve looking at extracting someone from the foreshore, using some of the kit we don’t use regularly.

“It’s a station superstition that if the ‘Q’ word is mentioned in full, then something generally happens.

“A routine day gives us a chance to ensure the station is operating efficiently, that all the kit is ready and in the right place.

“We support Thames CPD training courses on the river with the Thames Skills Academy and boat operators too.

“Additional courses, such as Sea Survival, are also available at the RNLI training centre in Poole.”

Ahoy sailor!

“I enjoyed PE at school, but the traditional sports of football, rugby and basketball were never my forte.

“Then, aged 11, I discovered sailing, courtesy of a powerboat taster day at the AHOY Centre, Deptford which I heard about through Greenwich Adventure Play Centres.

“I had found my niche.”

Career tips

“Last November, I was pleased to be invited by the PLA and the Greater London Authority to speak to the London and Thames Waterways Forum about how my career afloat has taken shape.  

“My message to anyone thinking about following in my footsteps is simply: Do it!!

“The skills you learn and the people you get to meet are second to none.

“No two days are ever the same.  

“No matter how many times you have put a boat alongside a certain pier, the tide and other environmental conditions are always ever so slightly different.

“You have to adapt your approach each time.”

Expanding horizons

“It’s also helped me see the world.

“In just one year during my training I visited 17 countries and 50 ports, mainly in Europe and Africa.

“I spent Christmas 2017 in the heat of Ghana – conditions far removed from a traditional British Yuletide.”

Pilot ambition

“My year-ten work placement at school was spent with the PLA.

“The two weeks featured my introduction to maintaining an aid to navigation, aboard Hookness.

“I got to see the workings of the maintenance yard at Denton too.

“At the VTS Office in Woolwich, I met Frank Hart. Our paths were to cross again in later life as RNLI volunteers.

“I also enjoyed seeing the work of Chris Healy and the other harbour launch crew members.

“Once I obtain my Master Unlimited Licence, my goal is to return to the PLA and join their team of pilots.”

2023 highlight

“During London International Shipping Week last September, I was on board Galatea, moored at HMS Belfast, hosting a variety of events, including for the Merchant Navy Training Board and visits for local sea cadet units.

“I had the privilege to be at the wheel, passing under Tower Bridge, as we headed back to sea. Though it’s a task I have executed many times before on smaller vessels, the sheer size of Galatea made it extra special.

“My Mum was on Tower Bridge watching too!

“It’s a moment I will never forget.”

Musical youth

“My early ambitions were very music focused.  

“I am a classically-trained pianist, but loved playing in jazz bands whilst at school and university, finding the music more fun and open to interpretation.

“I no longer play as much as I’d like, but it’s something that never leaves you and I hope to get back into playing regularly in the near future.

"Birdland by Joe Zawinul and Gonna Fly Now, the theme from Rocky are pieces I particularly enjoy playing in a big band. They have so much energy behind them.”

From east to west

“Though I now live in Plymouth, I get back to London often when on leave.

“I do miss the hustle and bustle of the capital, but Devon is a great place to get away from it all too. The coastline is spectacular.

“I am lucky to have the best of both worlds, I think.

“I miss my family and friends whilst away at sea, but working three weeks on then three weeks off provides plenty of opportunity to relax and explore new places.

“Best of all, I get to drive big ships.

“That is ultimately why I came to sea.”

Quick fire

• First memory of the Thames? Riding along the Thames path as a child, on the back of my Dad’s bike.
• New Year’s resolution? It would have to be to keep pushing myself to be the best I can be and take every opportunity that is presented.
• Recommended Thames-side restaurant or pub? I have three: The Cutty Sark in Greenwich, The Tattershall Castle at Victoria Embankment and The White Cross in Richmond.
• Other hobbies? Photography and cycling.

After nearly a decade, this will be Rev Sophia Acland’s last Christmas at All Hallows by the Tower in central London, prompting her to reflect on the church’s close links with the river.

“I shall be very sad to leave All Hallows in January, after more than nine years.

“During my time here as Associate Vicar, I have much enjoyed my contacts with river and maritime organisations, not least the PLA.

“My husband, now retired, is doing various voluntary things in Gloucestershire.

“It seems the right time for us to leave London and for me to concentrate on my other church job, up near the source of the river.

“It will be a big wrench.”

Yuletide schedule

“I will be spending Christmas in Yorkshire, near another great waterway, the River Ribble, where I grew up, with my extended family.

“I will be taking a service on Christmas Day, but after that will have time off to relax, which will be lovely after a very busy December in London.

“But I will be back in London for the New Year’s Eve fireworks.”

The spirit of Christmas

“What I most enjoy about Christmas is the feeling of people coming together.

“It’s a wonderful time to connect with people from the local community around All Hallows.

“Many of them have river or seafaring connections, such as the Company of Watermen & Lightermen, and those working in shipping law and insurance.

“We also welcome visitors from far and wide, staying in the many local hotels over the festive period, as well as our regular congregation.

“It’s a lovely time of year. The church is full of music and candlelight.

“I particularly enjoy chatting after services, renewing connections with all sorts of people.”

Commercial break

“I think it’s a pity if people feel under pressure to spend a lot of money at this time of year.

“But I think most of us are aware that there is more to Christmas than this.

“Even the ads for the big supermarkets and shops on TV now emphasise the more important things in life, like kindness, looking out for the lonely and being inclusive and welcoming.”

In tune with modern values

“Many people nowadays would say they do not belong to any particular faith, but I feel Christmas is as relevant as ever.

“Its messages include values we can all share.

“With our news media full of the horrors of war and violence, Christmas speaks to us of light shining in the darkness and not being overcome – of hope and better things ahead.

“At a time when we see so many refugees and asylum seekers making dangerous journeys to seek safety or find a better life, Christmas tells the story of a baby born far from home.”

2023 highlight

“A stand-out moment for me of the last 12 months was blessing UCL Tamesis for the PLA in June, the UK’s fully-electric port survey vessel.

“I felt honoured to have a go at steering the vessel using a mobile app.

“It is a wonderful piece of equipment which will help research in coastal morphology, carbon reduction, and habitat mapping, and enable safe navigation in previously inaccessible areas.”

Hopes for a greener 2024

“I am an Area Lead for the Church of England in London, working with churches in the City and Westminster to cut carbon emissions.

“My prayer for 2024 is that London be a leader in showing what can be done to combat climate change.

“As a Christian, I believe we have a duty to steward the beautiful planet God has made, and protect those most affected in the developing world, who have done least to cause the climate emergency.”

A focus for remembrance

“All Hallows has many historical links to both the Thames and the sea.

“It’s situated next to the original Pool of London, near the Merchant Navy memorials in Trinity Square Gardens.

“We hold services from time to time commemorating the loss of merchant navy shipping and celebrating the contribution of river workers.

“Recently, the Thames Memorial was installed in the church as a focal point for those who have sadly lost loved ones in the river.

“The unveiling ceremony, led by our Vicar Katherine Hedderly and attended by many members of the river community was beautiful.

“The church also houses the National Maritime Memorial Book.

“We hold an annual service, attended by the families of the bereaved, when new names are added.”

A community hub

“All Hallows’ parish covers both the City of London and Tower Hamlets.

“We try to build links between the two.

“For instance, we held an employability project in our Porch Room, run by the First Love Foundation, who are based in Tower Hamlets.

“This aimed to help former foodbank clients back into work, with input from local City businesses.

“We also hold a twice-yearly education project, which welcomes many primary school children from Tower Hamlets and beyond.

“Earlier this year, we hosted an art exhibition by a local artists’ community in Wapping.

“We are also the official church of the London Marathon, providing a welcome and refreshments to spectators – another highlight of our year each spring.”

A mixed congregation

“For our weekday services, attendees are mainly City workers, or visitors staying in local hotels.

“Our Taize service on Wednesday evenings is very international, attracting people from all over the world while they are in town.

“We sing in about seven languages. Some more successfully than others!

“At weekends, the congregation comes from people living near or in the parish, but also all sorts of people from further away, who have formed a connection with All Hallows over the years.”

Spiritual vocation

“I have always been a churchgoer, but never expected to end up ordained.

“I got drawn into the church more, because I play the organ (rather badly!) and I began to  feel called to do more.

“I wanted to try and communicate the Christian message of hope and share God’s love with others.”

Quick fire:

• The Thames in three words? History. Trade. Beauty.
• First memory of the Thames? Beautiful riverside walks near Goring, visiting cousins as a child.
• Favourite season on the river? Summer. Not least because of the annual Beating of the Bounds ceremony, with local children and the Doggett’s men in their splendid scarlet uniforms.