The volunteers worked alongside our staff as part of our Towpath Taskforce initiative, a monthly event where people can get out on the canal to help make improvements to the water and towpath.
The wildflowers were planted on a formerly disused section of grass adjacent to the lock. It will be looked after and nurtured by local residents. The team also collected litter from the water and along the towpath, as well as painting lock gates.
Ross Fogden, Canal & River Trust volunteer leader, said: “It's brilliant to get so many people giving up their free time to help us look after the canal. Their work has completely transformed the lock, which is one of the busiest anywhere in London. We've now got a beautiful new wildflower garden on the waterside, and it goes without saying that reducing litter and plastics from the water is vital.
“The Regent's Canal is arguably as popular now than anytime in living memory. This section in particular has benefitted hugely from the work of really keen, passionate volunteers. In addition to our Towpath Taskforce, we have the Lower Regent's Coalition, a group of local residents who've ‘adopted' this stretch and done super human amounts of work to improve the appearance and biodiversity of the area.
“We know that there are great health benefits from working outdoors and being by water, so volunteering is a great thing to do. We're always on the lookout for more people to help, so if you are interested do get in touch. The more people we have, the more improvements we can make.”
