The Port of London Authority (PLA) is helping people find out where they can make a difference to the condition of the Thames foreshore with a new website, Cleaning the Thames, showing planned clean-ups.

Individuals: How to Use Cleaning the Thames

  • 13th November 2020

View Events
On the home page ‘Litter Map,’ you can view the locations of all upcoming, approved clean-up events. By clicking the red pins, you can view the location and see the upcoming events at that location.

Events Calendar
On the events calendar page you can view events by week or month, selecting the dates that are best for you. If you select an event on the day suiting you best, you will be brought to the event’s page where you can get the organiser’s contact details and find out more details.

All Locations
This page will allow you to see all the possible locations for a litter clean up, giving you the option of seeing if there are any upcoming events near you.

Signing up to an event
To sign up to an event, please use the organiser contact details found on the event’s single page.

Important Safety Information

  • 13th November 2020

The Thames foreshore is potentially hazardous and some dangers may not always be immediately apparent. The Thames rises and falls by over 7.0m twice a day as the tide comes in and out. The current is fast and the water is cold.

Anyone going on the foreshore does so entirely at their own risk and must take personal responsibility for their safety and that of anyone with them. In addition to the tide and current mentioned above there are other less obvious hazards, for example raw sewage, broken glass, hypodermic needles and wash from vessels. Steps and stairs down to the foreshore can be slippery and dangerous and are not always maintained. The PLA advises that only children of a minimum age of 9, with a supervised adult, be allowed on the foreshore due to the hazards presented.

Before going onto the foreshore consider:

  • sensible footwear and gloves
  • carrying a mobile phone
  • not going alone
  • the tide; is it rising or falling?

Always make sure you can get off the foreshore quickly – watch the tide and make sure that steps or stairs are close by.

Finally, be aware of the possibility of Weil’s Disease, spread by rats urine in the water. Infection is usually through cuts in the skin or through eyes, mouth or nose. Medical advice should be sought immediately if ill effects are experienced after visiting the foreshore, particularly “flu like” symptoms ie temperature, aching etc.

PLA Cage Etiquette

  • 13th November 2020

In some clean-up locations, it is possible to request the PLA marine services team to provide cages for the litter clean-up. If you have requested a cage, we require it to be a filled a certain way to ensure the continued safety on the river.

Please adhere to the following guidelines when filling a PLA cage:

  • Do not tie objects to the side of the basket(s)
  • Do not fill the basket full with plastic waste (half full baskets only)
  • Do not over fill basket so lids can’t close
  • Do not undo any lifting chains/shackles on the baskets
  • Do not disconnect the marker buoy connected to basket
  • Ensure there are no objects protruding from the basket
  • Ensure the basket lids are secured once closed
  • Any black sacks of rubbish in the basket are split to allow trapped air to escape

Any large items (i.e. shopping trolleys or discarded bicycles) should be left and the location noted. On the ‘post-event’ information, the location and type of object discovered can be entered for marine services to collect.

How to use this site

  • 13th November 2020

Here’s what you’ll need to know to get started on the site.

Register Account

If you do not yet have an account, click here to register and enter your details. Soon after you’ll receive an email prompting you to create a password.

Once you’ve submitted your registration, your account will be reviewed and appropriate permissions will be provided. New accounts are given the most basic of permissions so you may need to wait shortly before full access is granted.

Please upload a copy of your foreshore permit and liability insurance. You will need these to be able to submit events to the website. If you do not currently have a foreshore permit, you can download an application form from the Getting Involved section of Cleaning the Thames.

Once you have been given admin permissions, you will be able to add events.

Logging-in

Head to cleaningthethames.pla.co.uk and select log in (scroll down to the lower left corner of the page). From there you will be able to login by entering your username and password to access the WordPress dashboard.

Viewing Events

Logging in as an event organiser will give a user the ‘contributor’ role. This allows them to have limited access to the backend of the website in which the default view lists their event taking place in the future. A user can view other events which are being organised through selecting between ‘mine’, ‘published’, ‘drafts’ and ‘pending’. The view can also be filtered with the dropdown to show to show future, past, all or events within a certain timeframe.

For events that the user is not the owner of, they can simply view it or duplicate it as a template for their own events:

For events that the user does own, there are more options available and most importantly selecting ‘edit’ to change the event’s information:

Adding a New Event

Selecting ‘add event’ will open up the form with fields to fill in as follows:

  • Event name and event description (this allows for formatting, links, media, etc.), when the event will take place;
  • When the event will take place and where the event will take place (More locations can be requested by using the link on the ‘All Locations’ page);
  • Whether the event is public or private, the event’s current status, the pre-event information (Please see the guide for using PLA litter cages);
  • There is post-event recording data that should be considered;
  • Files such as a method statement should be uploaded pre-event. Then finally, you may submit the event for review for the PLA team.

Event Reviewed & Approved

Once your requested event has been approved by the PLA, you will receive a confirmation email and the event will go live on the site. If your event is public, the contact details you have entered will be visible to the general public. Attendees will contact you directly to join the litter pick.

Before the Event

At least three days before your event, please check that the method statement still holds all the correct information.

Final checks include:

  • Consider the recent weather and forecasted weather for the event day
  • Check the tides are as expected
  • Has there been any recent rainfall or flooding?

After the Event

After the event you will receive an email reminder to enter the post-event data, for instance the actual attendance to the number of plastic straws collected. This information will be collected and used to report on the progress of the website.