Week of events to showcase London's local rivers

When Londoners say "the river", most will mean the River Thames.

But there are 25 other rivers in the Greater London area, with familiar names like the Brent, the Fleet, the Ravensbourne, Stamford Brook and the Westbourne.

London Rivers Week is an annual campaign encouraging the public to celebrate all the city's rivers - and the many projects taking place to protect them.

Now in its ninth year, it runs from 30 May to 8 June and has a range of free guided walks, talks and cultural events.

Chris Coode from environmental charity Thames21 – who helps coordinate the week of events - said its aim is to "inspire hope and drive action, encouraging Londoners to connect with and protect their local blue spaces".

He added: "We invite everyone to get involved in the many exciting events taking place throughout the week."

Free activities on offer include a picnic and water sampling event at Chinbrook Meadows in Lewisham; walking the length of the River Crane from its headwaters at Headstone Manor in Harrow to Isleworth, and a "hands-on" wetland maintenance session removing excess reeds in Memorial Park in Chingford.

Some of the events are already fully booked, including a kayak 'paddle and pick' litter clean on the River Thames near Fulham and day of craft activities for children by the River Wandle in south London.

Thames21 works with around 7,000 volunteers to restore and look after rivers, water and nature across London and the Thames Basin.

It was developed from a partnership programme supported by Keep Britain Tidy, the Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, Thames Water, British Waterways, the Corporation of London and 19 local authorities.

The charity is now independent, funded by a number of charitable trusts, companies and public funding.

Its river restoration initiatives include projects such as adding wood material to a river to 'naturalise' it, removing concrete barriers from its banks, or reconnecting a river to its floodplain.

Recent projects include 'Rewilding the Rom', which reconnected the River Rom in Dagenham, East London, to its floodplain and created a new wetland for people and wildlife to enjoy.

The charity also installed cobbles and gravel on the riverbed to enhance fish passage in River Ravensbourne in Bromley.

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