On Saturday 26th October, Roding Rubbish and Barking Riverside Neighbourhood Watch, brought together the local community for an event celebrating the Footpath 47 and raising awareness of its unique wildlife and its importance to be kept.
Hosted at the Exchange London (near Barking Riverside Pier), the
day began with a presentation onFootpath 47 by Kevin Hudson, our
ecological heritage specialist, a local resident passionate about protecting this natural space. Then came the fun part—yes a litter-picking session!
With 25 volunteers, including local families and kids as young as
11 months (supervising from her pram) to 6-year-old little litter he-
roes, we all joined forces to make a difference. All together we filled 38 bags of litter just from the foreshore, plus large items like cones, massive wood pieces, a foot fracture boot, and more. Big and small, all hands made an impact!
After the cleanup, we gathered back at The Exchange for some well-deserved refreshments and dove into the next part of our event! The London Fire Brigade gave an eye-opening talk on water safety (we all learned something new), followed by presentations from local community groups sharing their work. We also shared more about our local environment, wildlife, and even local history! A massive
thank you to everyone who joined us to help protect Footpath 47. Your
support means so much to us and our community.
By Marion Hull
Local resident
