River Cam clean-up in Cambridge attracts landlubbers and pirates
The annual Camboaters river clean-up and festival was hailed as a success after around 150 people pitched up to help with the task.
It was the 15th year of the clean-up, which started at Fort St George in Cambridge at 10am on Saturday (September 28) and continued until 7pm. The event was pirate themed and the charity for the World Rivers Day event was Sea Shepherd – a leading marine conservation group.
The Cambridge clean-up was once again led by Clare Laidler, a Camboater resident who has long been its main organiser, along with the Cambridge City Council officer Ashley Read.
Camboaters spokesperson Bill Jenks said: “Around 60 people registered and collected safety/picking kits, but many others came with them – especially noticeable were the families and young people, land residents from river areas.
“In addition, while my boat-based team was grappling in the river, many passersby stopped to help from the banksides.
“Our boat hooked 12 bikes, trolleys, and a lot of other metal ephemera.
“About 100 to 150 were present, and the free vegan barbecue gathering seemed to confirm that.”
Cambridge City Council helped by supplying safety kits and recycling points on the riverbanks, and the Cam Conservancy provided a boat to fish objects from the river.
Volunteers could replenish their energy at the free barbecue, provided by the sponsor Andusia, a waste-to-fuel recycling supply-chain specialist.
After the hard work, people gathered for the river festival to listen to the DJs and live music – several bands played during the afternoon and evening on a Dutch barge.
There was also an opportunity for children to dress and talk like a pirate.
