British Canoeing staff help to clean up Nottingham canal

Staff plan to help clean up a stretch of a canal as part of a nationwide initiative

A team from a national water sports body is hoping to inspire hundreds of people across the country to clear waterways of plastic pollution.

Staff from British Canoeing, based at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, near Nottingham, plan to clean up Nottingham Canal on 1 June.

The initiative is part of the Big Paddle Cleanup, which runs from 27 May to 11 June.

British Canoeing said that in 2022, 1,200 paddlers took part in the event.

They collected about 700 sacks of rubbish, including 2,123 single-use plastic bottles, 1,476 cans, 831 glass bottles and 3,296 food wrappers.

British Canoeing said its staff planned to help clear the canal, near Nottingham Magistrates' Court, between 13:00 and 15:00 BST on 1 June.

It said other volunteers were welcome to bring their kayak, canoe or paddleboard to help out, as long as they had a waterways licence.

Chantelle Grundy, British Canoeing's access and environment lead, said: "Last year's Big Paddle Cleanup showed how much the paddling community cares about our waters and what they're prepared to do to protect them.

"Combining social action with physical activity, is a fantastic way of bringing people together and improving our local surroundings.

"Together, as a team, we will continue to protect our waterways to do what we love."