The Big Paddle Cleanup

I’m committed to building greener, fairer and more thriving communities across Guildford and our villages. A big part of that is having cleaner rivers, free from sewage, waste and pollution.  

That’s why I was delighted to visit Wey Kayak Club to support this year’s Big Paddle Cleanup, which runs from 23 May to 7 June.

Access to clean, safe water is essential – and not just for protecting our natural environment, but for supporting recreation, wellbeing and community life here in Guildford. Initiatives like this not only protect our environment but bring people together to make a real, visible difference locally.  

The Big Paddle Cleanup is an annual initiative run by Paddle UK, the national governing body for paddle sport, that brings communities together to remove plastic pollution and general river rubbish from our waterways. Last year alone, 4,228 volunteers across the country spent more than 8,000 hours on the water, collecting an incredible 2,000 sacks of waste. 

Efforts like this show what can be achieved when communities work together, but they also underline the scale of the problem facing our waterways. I will continue to push for stronger action to protect our rivers and ensure they are safe, clean and accessible for everyone.