Lake clean-up day

The Friends of Foots Cray Meadows (FFCM) are arranging a session to clear the lake at Five Arches Bridge of abandoned fishing tackle and other rubbish that is a danger to wildlife. Over the past year, there have been several cases of harm coming to our family of swans and other wildlife related to discarded fishing tackle.

The lake and surrounding area is a designated Local Nature Reserve and winter is the only time we can do this before the nesting season begins. We will be collaborating with several groups on the day plus there is an opportunity for FFCM members to help as volunteers.

This is a major event for FFCM and we hope you agree it is a worthwhile one for the sake of our wildlife.

What will happen on the day

Members of the River Action Group (RAG) led by Thames21, who you may well have seen out and about on the meadows on most Wednesdays throughout the year. Those volunteers will be working at the water edges and shallow waters to remove fishing tackle and general rubbish.

We have engaged the services of a member of FFCM and his experienced team to use kayaks on the lake to search and remove fishing tackle and general rubbish from the nesting islands and inaccessible areas. This team are the only people permitted on the lake on the day.

Some members of the Greenwich Wildlife Network, who have been pivotal in caring for our wildlife over recent months.

To address the issues of antisocial behaviour and environmental concerns including fishing and cruelty to wildlife on the meadows, FFCM will also holding a stakeholder meeting on the same day to engage with those organisations with an interest in safeguarding the welfare of the wildlife in this area.

Where do you come in?

There will be a limited number of volunteer opportunities for FFCM members on the day on a first come, first served basis:

• To act as ambassadors on the day to engage with visitors to the meadows during the event, to explain its purpose.

• To collect litter around the lake and surrounding areas.

• To co-ordinate safe removal of rubbish and the safe and secure disposal of fishing tackle from the waters edge (not going in the water), which will be placed there by the River Action Group or the kayak team. The lead co-ordinator and designated destination area for the rubbish will be determined on the day.

If you are interested in helping, you will need to register beforehand by emailing us with your membership number, name and contact email address.

The registration deadline is 12pm noon on Monday 16th February.

We will contact you with an email response confirming if your application to be a volunteer on the day has been accepted or declined, depending on the volume of applications received.

Important information for volunteers

• Volunteers must be FFCM members.

• We will not be able to accept children as volunteers.

• All volunteers who have received an acceptance email will need to collect a hi-vis tabard and any other equipment needed from the registration desk on the day. This will be located at the Bothy in the grounds of St James’s Church from 10.30am. Necessary equipment like gloves and litter pickers will be provided.

• All volunteers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear suitable for the work and the weather on the day.

• No volunteers should enter the water at any time, apart from those specific groups listed above.

• We will take some photos of the volunteer event for use on the FFCM website, social media and publications.

Refreshments (teas and coffees) will be available at the Bothy during the event.