International conservation charity, ZSL, (Zoological Society of London) has received nearly £100k of funding to support its work encouraging London’s communities to get involved in the conservation of the River Thames.

City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, has awarded £99,400 to the Regent’s Park-based charity to help support its efforts to engage Londoners in its environmental work.

The grant will go towards getting more people involved in the charity’s Thames Conservation projects, which form part of ZSL’s Mother Thames campaign to involve Londoners in protecting the city’s famed river.

The project aims to educate Londoners about the importance of the capital’s rivers and empowers them to take conservation action by getting involved in volunteering with its environmental schemes.

Its key London project involves volunteers, known as ‘citizen scientists’, to conserve the rivers, including activities such as mapping and recording the impact of polluted surface water and monitoring the marine life.

Alison Gowman, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust Committee, said:

“The charity does sterling work in bringing people together to learn more about their environment, and the results are clearly speaking for themselves.

“The Thames is not only a busy urban waterway, but is also home to an important array of wildlife.

“ZSL is playing a leading role in teaching Londoners about river pollution, its effects on water quality and marine life, and how they can improve the ecology of the river.

“Tackling disadvantage across the capital is essential to making London a fairer and better place in which to live.”

Joe Pecorelli, ZSL conservationist, said:

“We are delighted to receive the continued support of City Bridge Trust. This generous donation aids our work across the River Thames and its tributaries, funding ZSL’s citizen science programme.

“Since 2016, ZSL has engaged and trained over 600 citizen scientists, who work with us to secure the future of our rivers.

“The evidence gathered directly impacts the conservation of London’s aquatic wildlife, including informing investment in removing pollutants and restoring habitats, as well as helping inform policies and strategies.

“Throughout 2019, ZSL will be inviting Londoners to get involved in our Mother Thames campaign, including joining us as a citizen scientist. Our rivers desperately need the support of communities that live alongside them and the support of charitable trusts, such as City Bridge Trust, to secure a future for the incredible aquatic wildlife that we share our city with.”

ZSL is an international conservation charity working to create a world where wildlife thrives. From investigating the health threats facing animals to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, ZSL is committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction. ZSL recently launched a new public awareness campaign Mother Thames to raise awareness of what lies beneath the surface of the famed River Thames.

City Bridge Trust is the funding arm of Bridge House Estates, the City of London Corporation’s charity. It is London’s biggest independent grant giver, making grants of £20 million every year to tackle disadvantage across the capital.

The Trust has awarded around 8,000 grants totalling over £400 million since it first began in 1995. It helps achieve the City Corporation’s aim of changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners.

ENDS

Media enquiries:

Andrew Buckingham

Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Email - andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Telephone - 020 7332 1452

Notes for Editors:

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk 

About City Bridge Trust:

City Bridge Trust is the funding arm of Bridge House Estates, a Registered Charity, with its primary aim the maintenance and support of five Thames bridges: Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Southwark, Blackfriars and the Millennium footbridge.

City Bridge Trust was established in 1995 to make use of funds surplus to bridge requirements and provides grants totalling around £20m per year towards charitable activity benefitting Greater London. The City of London Corporation is the sole trustee of the Bridge House Estates.

About the ZSL (Zoological Society of London):

ZSL (Zoological Society of London) is an international conservation charity working to create a world where wildlife thrives. From investigating the health threats facing animals to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, ZSL is committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction. Our work is realised through our ground-breaking science, our field conservation around the world and engaging millions of people through our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more information, visit www.zsl.org