Environmental Impact
Fulham Reach Boat Club is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability as part of being a positive environmental role model to all participants across our State School Rowing, Free Water Sport Weeks, Boats Not Bars, Junior and Adult Community members, collectively reaching over +1,500 people a year. We also host Corporate CSR days and school visits for immersive outside-the-classroom learning.
Our holistic initiatives not only demonstrate a profound impact on the local community but also set a pioneering standard for sports clubs aspiring to be environmentally focused.
We affectionately refer to our environmental work as 'Pollution ROWbellion!'
WATER QUALITY TESTING
In collaboration with FreshWater Watch by EarthWatch, we have undertaken a groundbreaking citizen science initiative to raise awareness of the issues facing the UK's rivers and streams.
- only 14% of the UK’s rivers are considered to be in good ecological health, and every single one of them fails to meet the required chemical standards (The Rivers Trust, 2021)
- 389,000 discharges of raw sewage entered UK waterways in 2022 (Surfers Against Sewage, 2022).
We run weekly water quality testing across a range of physiochemical measures, including Nitrate and Phosphate, which are good indicators of organic pollution. Organic pollution can enter our rivers through waste water discharge by water companies as well as from agricultural runoff. We aim to build community awareness of this issue to make local and national stakeholders take this issue seriously.
We openly publish our data for all to see and use via:
Our work has been picked up by London News - SW Londner 19th Oct 2023
RIVER CLEAN UPS
In partnership with the Port of London Authority (PLA) we have taken a proactive stance in combating litter pollution.
- Over 14 million items of litter are in UK rivers (Waste Managed)
- Approximately 300 tonnes of rubbish is cleared from the Thames each year (Thames21)
- Scientists estimate that 94,000 microplastics per second flow down the Thames in places (Science of the Total Environment, 2020)
We regularly lead litter-picking groups during low tides, tackling issues of plastic pollution and discarded disposable vapes head-on. The tangible impact of our work is evident in the removal of substantial quantities of litter, making a visible difference to the local environment.
Our next River Clean ups are on:
- Wednesday 6th March 2024
- Wednesday 1st May 2024
- Wednesday 5th June 2024
We also offer bespoke River Clean ups for Corporates and Schools.
Contact us if you would like to take part. Safety Advice for River Clean ups.
TRANSITION TO NET ZERO
We are transitioning our coaching boat fleet to electric power in a transformative step towards sustainable operations. Having already taken delivery of our first electric motor, we plan to electrify all five launches and install charging infrastructure on our pontoon thereby removing 14,000kg of CO2 a year from our operations.
This holistic approach aligns with our charity's commitment to a green energy supplier, waste recycling, and efficient communal facility heating.
HABITAT RESTORATION AND ANIMAL RESCUE
There are nearly 4,000 seals in the tidal Thames and we want to do our bit in partnership with Thames Seal Watch to protect them. We have recently had a seal watch sign installed in front of FRBC encouraging passersby to report sightings to ZSL Thames Marine Mammal Survey.
If you want to learn more check out this video by Thames Seal Watch.
We are actively looking to work with new partners and community groups to help us protect and restore our local environment.
Contact us if you would like to join any of our environmental impact projects or if you would like to organise a bespoke activity for your company or school.