St. Katharine Docks Puts a Spotlight on Plastic in the River Thames

St. Katharine Docks, central London's only marina, is committed to the fight against plastics in the waterways and is working with The Whale Company to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the River Thames. The challenge is to paddle the length of the river on recycled plastic bottles to deliver a ‘Message in a Bottle’ to Parliament.

Carlos De Sousa and Carolyn Newton from The Whale Company will paddle over 300km in a 17-day ‘Source to Sea’ challenge from Lechlade to Gravesend. Along the way, they will collect thoughts and messages from school children to be delivered to the Government.

Last year The Whale Company undertook 12 paddle board marathons in 12 European countries, documenting the plastic pollution witnessed along the way and catching the attention of European media.

“At The Whale Company we aim to inspire people to rebuild connections with nature and cherish the world around us. Clearly plastic pollution in our waterways has become such a threat that we are in danger of irreversibly damaging the purity of our rivers and seas and in the process harming every species that resides in the water." said Carolyn Newton, Founder of The Whale Company.

"We are undertaking this challenge to demonstrate that paddle boarding and water sports are a brilliant way for everyone to get out on the water and reconnect with nature, whilst galvanising the support of the entire community to influence decision-makers and push this issue even further up the agenda.”

Claire Daniels, Events & Marketing Manager at St. Katharine Docks adds, “St. Katharine Docks is committed to support the international recognition of eco-friendly marinas and destinations. The Whale Company and the Thames paddle board challenge is a great way to further engage with our own greener marina objectives and help the efforts of The Whale Company!”

St Katharine Docks is managed and operated by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, and has evolved into a thriving waterside community featuring modern office space, luxury real estate and quayside dining and shopping. 

To celebrate the completion of the event and further spread the message, St Katharine Docks will host a closing ceremony from 5-7pm on Friday 29th June.