Thames Environment Fund opens for applications

Marking London Climate Action Week (22 June to 30 June), the Port of London Authority (PLA) has opened this year’s Thames Environment Fund.

As a trust port, the PLA’s role is to protect and improve the tidal Thames for all, handing it on in a better condition to future generations. To deliver on the environmental aims of the PLA’s strategy, Thames Vision 2050, this year’s funding aims to attract a wider variety of applicants, including from schools, charities and sports clubs with an interest in protecting the river.

Grace Rawnsley, Director of Sustainability at the PLA said: “We are excited to launch our Thames Environment Fund this year. We’re again offering £50,000 to fund a range of projects that foster environmental improvements on the tidal Thames. We welcome any applicants who share our passion and vision for the future of the natural Thames and its wildlife.”

In the past three years, the PLA has underwritten 14 projects, thanks to the Thames Environment Fund. Last year’s funding supported clean up events, repaired a pontoon and promoted the research on filtration of microplastics. Examples include: Greenwich Yacht Club’s purchase and testing of electric outboards, Medway Swale Estuary Partnership’s and Fulham Reach Boat Club’s litter picks.

Applications are open to any project ideas that will be of environmental benefit to the tidal Thames. The application period opens today, 24 June, and closes on Friday 30 August 2024 at 5pm. Projects may ask for up to £15,000.

Click here to download the application. (docx)

Second round project funding

Greenwich Yacht Club used its £14,355.45 grant for the purchase, installation and testing of 3 electric outboard boat motors, as well as an outreach initiative to educate members and the community about the benefits of electric outboards.

Fulham Reach Boat Club used its £2,000 grant to plan and engage participants in regular litter-picking sessions and use weekly water quality testing to educate participants on river pollution and collect a reliable dataset. 

£2,500 allowed South Dock Marina Berth Holders Association to extend the flora introduction in the Greenland Dock Lock Area with the addition of 8, 2-meter square floating planter sections to adjoin the existing line of 5, creating a reed bed of sufficient density to be self-sustaining. An ‘H’ layout will incorporate sheltered areas for bird life.

UCL's £12,500 grant enabled it to plan research filtration techniques to collect microplastics from the River Thames and develop a series of three prototypes to quantify their effectiveness. A report will be published outlining the project deliverables and the next steps for future research.

London Wildlife Trust received a £12,130 grant for the purchase of essential PPE, tools, equipment, and materials for the Isleworth Ait volunteering sessions. Access improvements to the landing allowed volunteers to undertake projects on the island: Osiers were harvested, and mostly replanted, trees obstructing the footpath were removed, and sycamore branches overhanging the summer snowflake and marsh marigolds (starting to flower in March) were cut back.

Medway Swale Estuary Partnership’s £2,250 grant allowed it to undertake monthly litter clean-ups on sites across the Thames and Medway Swale Estuaries. To date 63 volunteers have attended equating to 126 volunteer hours and 127 bags of litter have been removed from the foreshore weighing 874kg.

Tidey’s grant of £2,500 helped them create a project informing groups of students about river pollution and promoting litter-picking, caring for river wildlife, and protecting the river. The project also involved litter picking events with students on the foreshore, with data feeding into Thames21’s water pollution database and the PLA’s Cleaning the Thames.