The Port of London Authority is a finalist in the Maritime UK awards, in the category for ‘Clean Maritime Operator’, alongside Peel Ports, who won the award last year, and Portsmouth International Port.
Commenting on the news, Grace Rawnsley, PLA’s Director of Sustainability, said: “We’re delighted to be a finalist in the Maritime UK awards this year. Often, from a sustainability perspective, we’re focused on how much more there is to be done, and it’s rare to reflect on all the progress we have made so far. Being recognised in these prestigious awards for a category so vital to our Thames Vision has a great impact.”
Our entry included:
Thames Green Scheme, which rewards and recognises efforts made by businesses to reduce their environmental footprint.
Thames Environment Fund, which issues grants to projects that boost nature and wildlife along the tidal Thames, from sailing and rowing clubs to universities and wildlife charities.
Clean Thames Manifesto, which brought together stakeholders to commit to more ambitious timescales for cleaning up the tidal Thames.
Maritime Hydrogen Highway, through which we’re leading a consortium of partners on a ground-breaking three-year, £2.1 million development programme, aimed at developing a national hydrogen highway network
We have to wait until the awards ceremony on the 5 June to know if we’ve been successful in winning the category.
Celebrating women of the Thames
'Women on the Thames' with Jimmy Garcia and head chef Heidi
Thirty women who work on the Thames were invited by riverside restaurant operator Jimmy Garcia to a private dining experience ahead of the official opening of his BBQ Club, next to Festival Pier.
Ranging from apprentices to directors, they included a Tugboat Captain, a Deputy Harbour Master, Pilots, river cruise and clipper crews, two Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Katherine Riggs CEO and Jean Stevens MBE, both from the Thames Skills Academy.
Restauranteur Jimmy Garcia said, “Without these women and those they represent we wouldn’t benefit from the tourism and business that is generated by the river, so we wanted to thank them and help give them the recognition they deserve”.
Katherine Riggs from the Thames Skills Academy said “We are finding more and more women are attracted to careers on the river and waterways, but we still need more! The enjoyment that visitors get from our river depends on the dedication of Thames workers in so many guises. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to gather ahead of International Day for Women in Maritime, exchange ideas and experiences and celebrate the successful work of these incredibly talented women.”
International Women in Maritime Day is Saturday, 18th May
Thames Barrier turns 40
The Thames Barrier marked a significant milestone this week, celebrating 40 years since it opened.
Andy Batchelor, its operations manager, who started on the day it was opened by the late Queen, said: "It's like the sleeping giant, it rolls into action, it wakes up when that is needed. Its reliability and effectiveness demonstrate the sophistication of its design by a very talented group of engineers and the continued maintenance and operation carried out by the barrier team."
Tom Edwards, BBC London transport and environment correspondent commented, “It took 30 years to get it built. Since it opened, it has been closed 221 times to protect London. And with a warming climate and higher sea levels it's being used more and more. The barrier will protect London until 2070 but thoughts are already turning to what defences the capital will need then.”
Lightning boat
Gravesend RNLI sped to the rescue of a sailing yacht struck by lightning, that had had to anchor near the shipping lane in Broadness, Kent.
Fortunately, the crew were unharmed, although, as Thames Commander Andy Colley said, “This patch of the River Thames is a busy shipping channel with very large cargo vessels and could be a concern to navigational traffic.”
The Skipper of the vessel said, "At first we lost power to the engines, we were unable to make way with sails due to no wind and when we were making contact with Port of London via radio, we were struck by lightning which took out all communications and power."
Cinematic sail
After premiering at the National Maritime Museum, the film ‘Wind Tide & Oar’, exploring engineless sailing and the lives of those who navigate the seas without relying on auxiliary power, is embarking on a unique tour of the Southeast coast on the iconic Thames sailing barge Blue Mermaid.
The ship, crewed by Skippers of the Future sail trainees, will visit ten ports, transforming its cargo hold into a floating cinema for exclusive screenings of the film, Q&A sessions, and school workshops.
Supported by the ‘Skippers of the Future’ project, young people and adult trainees will crew the Blue Mermaid between ports, earning the ‘Introductory Certificate in Traditional Seafaring’, developed in partnership with National Historic Ships. Onboard workshops for local schools will demonstrate traditional marine trades, inspiring young people towards future maritime careers. The Blue Mermaid is still seeking cargo to transport; please contact richard@seachangesailingtrust.org.uk for more information.
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