Earth Month 2026 in Paddington - Our Impact
Grand Union BID members have demonstrated their commitment to the local environment this April, as 115 colleagues joined us to celebrate Earth Month.
Representing 20 BID members and supporters, the volunteer litter heroes gave over 150 hours of their time to removing rubbish from Paddington’s pavements, parks and waterways.
On Wednesday 15 April, under the supervision of Paddleboarding London, teams used litter pickers and nets to remove microplastics from the canal, all whilst balancing on their boards. The volunteers returned with buckets filled with plastic wrappers, cigarettes, packaging and several coconuts. It was wonderful to see colleagues who joined our summer SUP socials in 2025 return to the water.
A really rewarding volunteering experience, helping to improve the local environment and bringing people from across the Paddington area together. Charlie and Jen from Paddleboarding London were friendly, knowledgeable and kept the session engaging, despite the mixed weather. Can’t wait for the next Pick and Paddle!
Back on dry land, our activity on Thursday 16 April was focused on Church Street – statistically the most deprived part of Westminster. This event was organised in partnership with Westminster City Council and was a new addition to our Earth Month programme, which has previously concentrated exclusively on the canal.
The bustling Church Street community is currently undergoing an extensive regeneration project and so, to the background noise of drills and diggers, teams helped maintain the green spine – a new park and pedestrian friendly route at the heart of Church Street.
As with the paddleboarding, our focus was the smaller items of litter more easily missed by collections, but the day also allowed time for weeding, pansy planting and plenty of conversations with interested local residents.
Grand Union BID organised a brilliant day of litter picking and flower bulb planting in and around the Church Street Green Spine and Triangle Space, helping to brighten and refresh the area. The team presented in full force, brimming with positivity and enthusiasm. Their efforts have made a real difference and we’re excited to continue this partnership and work together on more community focused activities.
We returned to the water on Monday 20 April to end our Earth Month efforts, with colleagues travelling by GoBoat to remove litter from the canal. The 66 volunteers – and their canine companion - covered over 30km on the canal; pulling plastic bags, bottles, a bucket, loaf of bread and a Birkenstock sandal from the water.
Of course litter heroes are needed all year round and the warmer spring and summer months provide perfect litter picking conditions. If you are a Grand Union BID member and would like to organise a litter picking event for your team - on water or dry land - we’d love to hear from you.