Paris 2024 paracanoe medalists have helped to remove plastic pollution from Nottingham Canal as part of the Big Paddle Cleanup.
A team of Paddle UK staff and Paralympian gold medal winners Charlotte Henshaw MBE and Emma Wiggs MBE, as well as silver medalist Jack Eyers, all helped in the cleanup.
Paracanoe team members Jonathan Young and Stuart Wood also plucked rubbish from the canal.
Thousands of volunteers are taking part in the Big Paddle Cleanup, which runs until 8 June, to clear our blue spaces of junk.
They collected over 20 sacks of rubbish from the canal and towpaths, making the space much cleaner for everyone to use.
Emma Wiggs said:
“Every year [as part of the Big Paddle Cleanup] we try and encourage people to look after these beautiful places.
“We’re lucky to paddle on the [Holme Pierrepont lake], it’s nice and tidy, but every time we go to a river or canal its shocking to see litter and pollution. We want to enjoy the waterways.
“Nowadays there’s a lot more plastic around. It’s definitely getting worse so that’s why initiatives like the Big Paddle Cleanup are so important.”
Jack Eyers said:
“We often see crisp packets, bottles and cans, they’re the three main things.
“Being in the water, on the water, is the place where I can chill out and keep me grounded.
“I feel devastated when I come across [the junk]. It’s really unthoughtful. It’s people that don’t care.
“We’ve grown a bit of a disconnect with the water and what it means to us.
“As an athlete who spends most of his time on the water it’s my responsibility to raise that message.”
