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Creekside Discovery Centre in Deptford is recovering from a year of lockdown thanks to a major cash injection of £120k. Two donations from Tideway, the company expanding the city’s 150-year-old sewer, are breathing new life into the charity, and its commitment to helping really wild wildlife flourish in a unique urban environment. Tideway stepped in first with £15k to keep the centre afloat and now with £105k for a host of new activities for local residents and Londoners.
Jill Goddard, charity founder, said: “The Tideway donation is critical. Pre-covid, Creekside Discovery Centre saw 7,000 people a year. This new donation means we can get back to that with new events that show case the creek and how urban regeneration and wildlife can work together to make spaces for people better.”
The donation will fund seven new programmes including, public training for mapping local wildlife; land and tide walks; family learning aimed at Londoners, children and students; specialised certificated courses in creek know-how; and knowledge-sharing events aimed at developers and regeneration professionals.
Kelly Bradley, Community Investment Manager at Tideway, said: “We are making a huge investment in London’s sewerage system – but once the tunnel is complete, it won’t be visible.
“Tideway wants to make sure the legacy of this work is seen through the wildlife and people who benefit from it – and supporting Creekside is a way to continue to tell Londoners about the legacy of the tunnel beneath their feet. The partnership also supports our wider vision for the Tideway project to reconnect Londoners with their river.”
Deptford Creek is London’s only Thames creek where at low tide you can wade safely with our guide’s help. Its waters and muddy banks are home to shrimps, crabs, fish, birds and 300 species of wildflowers. With a history of fishing and ship building, it’s a mudlarkers dream (permit permitting).
The charity was established in 1999 in response to heavy regeneration in the area. It works with developers and the natural landscape to save London’s wildlife for future generations. A timetable of outdoor learning helps schools and the public explore a constantly changing habitat - right on their doorstep.
Tideway is building a 25km super sewer to prevent millions of tonnes of untreated sewage entering the River Thames. Around 65 per cent complete, the tunnel will be operational in 2025. This massive engineering project taking place under the Thames will have a huge impact on the quality of the river for all Londoners and minimise pollution for the wildlife.
Ends.
Notes to editors:
- Photo credit: Anna Fish
- Creekside Discovery Centre: Established in 1999 Creekside Discovery Centre is a charity committed to the long-term management of Deptford Creek for people and wildlife. Open to all it runs a yearly calendar of events aimed at growing awareness and enjoyment of the unique wildlife environment of Deptford and West Greenwich Creekside.
- Tideway: London currently relies on a 150-year-old sewer system built for a population less than a half its current size. As a result, millions of tonnes of raw sewage spills, untreated, into the River Thames each year. Tideway and its partners are building a £4.1bn, 25km super sewer under the Thames to intercept those overflows and clean up our river for the good of the city and its wildlife and you. Work began in 2015 and spans 24 sites across London. Work is due for completion in 2025.