Batley and Spen MP joins British Canoeing to help clean up Mirfield waterway

Kim took part in British Canoeing’s ‘Big Paddle Clean Up’ alongside canoeists and paddleboarders working to remove junk and plastic pollution from Britain’s waterways.

Kim said: “I was proud to be wearing my hats as chair of the all-party groups on both Sport and Tidy Britain, and to be involved in such a successful clean-up operation. We pulled a lot of rubbish from the water, including a shopping trolley. Our rivers and canals are fantastic resources and it is very sad to see them polluted in this way.

“It would be much better if the rubbish wasn’t there in the first place, but it was a pleasure working with this fantastic facility. I’m grateful to the staff and volunteers for such a great visit, and for organising such a good paddling session.”

They set off from Little Deer Wood Activity Centre, the base for Kirklees’ Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme.

As chair of the Sport and Tidy Britain All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG), Kim gave her backing to the two-week campaign, which last year saw 1,200 paddlers remove 700 sacks of rubbish from British waters.

It came just weeks after Kim organised her own Great Batley and Spen Spring Clean during March and April when 250 people collected more than 250 bags of rubbish at multiple litter picks across her constituency.