River Dee . Photo : Ian Thompson
Welsh Dee Trust : It Shouldn ’ t Be In The Dee
I ’ m sure you have read media reports highlighting pollution challenges in our freshwater rivers . Organisations like the 2 Minute Foundation , On Planet Patrol , the Canal and River Trust , the Rivers Trust and Surfers Against Sewage are all making a difference .
I was keen to hear more about another , the Welsh Dee Trust , an environmental charity with the objective of restoring the brooks , streams and rivers of the Dee catchment for wildlife and people . The River Dee spans the border of Wales and England and having paddled on it , I know how beautiful it is . The Welsh Dee Trust is an organisation that prioritises actions and wants to make real changes . One of five work programmes at the Trust , ‘ It Shouldn ’ t Be In The Dee ,’ aims to identify and solve sources of pollution , such as plastic and litter , sewage and urban runoff , with the help of local communities .
A series of successful standup paddleboarding litter picks with SUP Lass Paddle Adventures in 2022 tackled some hard-to-reach places on the River Dee . They found that plastic drink bottles were the most prevalent single-use plastic pollution . A clean , healthy Dee relies on the community coming together , and the contribution from paddleboarders and volunteers on and off the water has been excellent .
The Trust is working with researchers and students from the University of Chester on a study to understand the distribution of microplastics in the catchment with the support of citizen scientists collecting water samples for analysis . There are many opportunities to get involved with Welsh Dee Trust , including volunteering on other SUP litter picks in 2023 . If you ’ d like to be part of one , find out more at
www . welshdeetrust . com and follow SUP Lass on Instagram @ sup _ lass and
www . suplass . com
People of Colour Paddle – dedicated to including people of colour in paddlesport
Logo : Adya Misra
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Adya , a British Canoeing coach in kayak / coach and SUP , is the founder and chair . Alongside her is Paddlesport Instructor Anna Stishova , who has been part of the creation of the first Muslim Girls Paddlesport Club in Bolton and Janine Alexander , whose passion is connecting people from disadvantaged communities with outdoor spaces .
Ghost Fin – turning the tide on plastic pollution
As beach cleaners and coastal paddlers , we will all have picked up old fishing nets on our trips . It is exciting , therefore , to learn about Ghost Fin ’ s commitment to turning this waste into paddleboarding fins . Founded by Vince Weavers , Cofounder of lifestyle brand Ebb and Flo Living in Cleethorpes , Ghost Fin ’ s goal is to be the UK ’ s first board fin made solely from end-of-life fishing nets , ocean plastics and discarded ( ghost ) fishing nets .
According to the award-winning charity Ghost Fishing UK , dedicated to removing abandoned marine gear with specialist volunteer divers , over 14 million tonnes of marine debris are added to oceans worldwide each year , and 10 % to 20 % of this is fishing gear . You can see the scale of this problem and why Vince and Ghost Fin are committed to finding a solution .
The initial prototype of the fin , known as Finnegan , was finalised in early 2022 and tested by Vince . In December 2022 , the first batch of 25 fins went into production . 15 passionate ambassadors will trial and test these fins prior to general commercial and retail sales . As you can imagine , creating the fin takes time , energy and finance . To support the fin development , the company have launched a range of T-shirts , jewellery and a beanie made from recycled polyester . Go to www . ghostfin . com and Instagram @ ghost _ fin to learn more and sign up for the latest news on Finnegan ’ s journey !
I have followed SUP coach and sea kayaker Dr Adya Misra for some time on social media , paddled with her for my book and interviewed her for my podcast . I was very interested in her next project setting up People of Colour Paddle in spring 2022 . POCP is the UK ’ s first nationwide paddlesport club dedicated to the inclusion of people of colour at recreational , competitive and elite levels . As a club , it is managed entirely by volunteers .
In 2022 , Adya and POCP paddled with SUP schools in Bristol , Glasgow , Birmingham and Liverpool . As a British Canoeing affiliated club , POCP will start club sessions in Merseyside in March 2023 . There are other membership events planned too , that Adya is looking forward to . She told me , “ We are excited to be able to create authentic opportunities for people of colour to try paddlesports in their local spaces this year .”
To find out how to get involved and support them , follow @ peopleofcolourpaddle and @ queenadya on Instagram or People of Colour Paddle on Facebook .
Ghost Fin . Photo : Vince Weavers
I hope you ’ ve enjoyed and been inspired by these stories . Do get in touch if you ’ d like to make a contribution . See you next time ! Jo