The Port of London Authority (PLA) has launched a £175,000 ($236,311) Environment Fund to support community-led environmental projects along the tidal Thames, significantly increasing funding available for local initiatives.
The new fund replaces a previous programme that operated for five years, during which £180,000 ($243,000) was allocated across 26 projects.
In 2025, £50,000 ($67,522) supported six initiatives. The latest scheme represents a 250 per cent increase in available funding and introduces a broader, more structured approach across three categories.
The Environmental Improvement Programme, with £100,000 ($135,018) available, will focus on projects delivering strategic environmental benefits along the tidal Thames.
A further £50,000 ($67,522) has been allocated to the Local Environment Champions scheme, aimed at supporting community groups undertaking local environmental work.
An additional £25,000 ($33,758) will be directed towards the Tidal Tributaries Stewardship Fund, supporting initiatives focused on smaller waterways feeding into the Thames.
The funding reflects the PLA’s status as a trust port, under which 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 Port of London Authority, 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.”
The initiative forms part of the PLA’s broader sustainability strategy, focusing on decarbonisation, biodiversity and environmental resilience across the Thames corridor.
For more information:
Port of London Authority – https://pla.co.uk/
