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Q: What do shopping trolleys, an aeroplane propeller and a fridge of food have in common?

A: They were all pulled out of the UK’s canals last year during Towpath Tidy

Help clean up our canals, say Bill Bryson and British Waterways

The 2,200 miles of canals and rivers managed by British Waterways are part of our national heritage, but they can be blighted by littering, fly tipping and graffiti. Bill Bryson, best-selling author and President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is once again urging the 11 million people who use the nation’s canals and rivers to tackle the problems of rubbish on their local waterway during this year’s Towpath Tidy.

British Waterways’ Towpath Tidy 2010 takes place between Monday 1st March and Sunday 14th March, and is a series of locally coordinated activity days across the UK that offer local communities the chance to roll up their sleeves and really make a difference to their waterside environments. Towpath Tidy aims to make a big difference to small spaces, transforming nominated stretches of canals and rivers by undertaking tasks such as litter picking, painting and graffiti removal, cutting back towpath vegetation and minor maintenance tasks.

The success of the event depends on volunteers, supported by British Waterways’ staff, and everyone is welcome. This volunteer effort will bring wildlife and environmental benefits to the canals and rivers, as well as providing a welcome boost to the year-round work carried out by British Waterways. Towpath Tidy provides a great opportunity for communities to get involved and discover more about the fantastic resource they have on their doorsteps.

CPRE is supporting Towpath Tidy as part of its Stop the Drop campaign which aims to solve the litter and fly tipping problems blighting the UK’s towns and countryside, by involving its local branches and other litter picking groups registered on LitterAction? (www.litteraction.org.uk).

Bill Bryson comments: “Britain’s canals and rivers are incomparable spaces for people to enjoy. I urge everybody who wants to get Britain cleaned up to get involved and help tidy a towpath, pick up some litter or scrub off some graffiti.”

Robin Evans, British Waterways’ chief executive, adds: “Our waterways are a national asset and should be a source of local pride. The incredible effort local communities and volunteer groups make, especially during our annual Towpath Tidy, gives a real boost to our year-round maintenance programme. We want communities to feel a sense of ownership in their local canals and rivers, and Towpath Tidy provides a great opportunity for people to get involved and find out more.”

Towpath Tidy 2010 is aiming to surpass last year’s event, which saw more than 1,700 volunteers join 635 members of British Waterways’ staff in clearing 149 tonnes of litter, painting bridges, locks, fences and graffiti covered walls, and cutting back vegetation. Events took place in 110 locations across the UK and volunteers helped on 216 miles of towpath.

In addition to CPRE, Towpath Tidy is supported by Keep Britain Tidy’s The Big Tidy Up campaign, the leading inland waterways charity the Inland Waterways Association and a number of canal societies and trusts. For more information, including details of all the Towpath Tidy events, visit www.waterscape.com

or call 0845 671 5530.