The Port of London Authority (PLA) has introduced a £175,000 ($231,000) fund to support community-led environmental initiatives along the tidal Thames.
The new Environment Fund builds on a five-year scheme that supported 26 projects with a total of £180,000 ($237,000). In the last year alone, six projects received £50,000 ($66,000) in funding.
The latest initiative represents a 250 per cent increase in available funding and is structured across three targeted streams aimed at delivering both strategic and localised environmental benefits.
The Environmental Improvement Programme accounts for £100,000 ($132,000) and is designed to support projects capable of delivering measurable, long-term impact across the tidal Thames.
READ: Port of London appoints Non-Executive Board Director
A further £50,000 ($66,000) has been allocated to the Local Environment Champions fund, focused on enabling grassroots organisations to address environmental challenges within their communities.
The remaining £25,000 ($32,027) is dedicated to the Tidal Tributaries Stewardship Fund, supporting groups working to maintain and enhance the river’s feeder systems.
The expansion reflects the PLA’s trust port model, under which all revenues are reinvested into maintaining and improving the river and its surrounding communities.
READ: Port of London reappoints Non-Executive Chair and Director
Grace Rawnsley, Director of Sustainability at the PLA, said: “We want a clean, thriving, resilient tidal Thames and have big ambitions to work towards that aim. To help us, we are reinvesting all the money we make back into caring for the river and supporting the communities who live and work along it.
“We are pushing for net zero emissions on the river, capturing opportunities for renewable energy, and boosting biodiversity. Last year we led a project to remove five million wet wipes from the banks of the river in West London, clearing away the so-called wet wipe island.
“There is more work to do and so I’m delighted to unveil our new Environment Fund with a 250 per cent increase in funding. This will help community-based projects to make meaningful and lasting changes to the environment. I’m also particularly excited that, for the first time, we will have a fund dedicated to supporting the tributaries that feed into the river.”
For more information:
Port of London Authority – https://pla.co.uk/
