Jessica Toale was elected as Member of Parliament for Bournemouth West, in July 2024. She’s a passionate paddler and advocate for the environment, particularly around blue space.
I love being in and around the water. I learned to surf almost 20 years ago and now also paddle, scuba dive and free dive.
I first tried Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) with a friend on the Thames, but when my husband and I moved to Dorset we discovered the SUP Store in Little Avon Marina.
This was when we really got into it. It was something we were able to do together, whatever the weather, and it is something our English bulldog Clive loves doing with us.
SUP for me is about connecting with nature and exploring.
‘Worries about getting sick’
You can see the world from such a unique angle out of the water – from the Dorset coastline to quays and docks.
It’s also an incredibly physical thing to do, whether racing or touring, the movement of paddling, connects body and paddle to the water, is invigorating.
The state of our waterways is one of the things that compelled me to put myself forward for election.
It’s completely unacceptable that people are worried about getting sick from being in our rivers or seas and that our local ecosystems and biodiversity are threatened.
In my constituency this issue is affecting our reputation as a tourist destination and having knock-on effects on our local economy and businesses.
I’ve spoken about this in Parliament and it’s great to be part of a government taking immediate action on this.
I am hopeful about the future, in part because of the huge public outcry around this issue and the creative campaigning I’ve seen.
But also because I was able to vote on the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which introduced criminal liability for sewage spills and bans the bonuses of polluting water bosses.
This is the first step of many this new Labour government is taking to clean up our water and protect our environment.
People who enjoying using our waterways for leisure – like our paddlers, surfers and wild swimmers – have a huge role to play in monitoring the state of our water and making the case for why it’s so important to keep them clean.
The more access we have to our waterways, the greater awareness of just how important their health is to ours.
Independent Water Commission – Call for Evidence – Have your say >>
