Rowers Against Rubbish at Marlow Rowing Club
More than 70 people attended a special charity screening of A Plastic Ocean at Marlow Rowing Club, hosted by Rowers Against Rubbish in June
Rowers Against Rubbish at Marlow Rowing Club (c) Toby Brown Photography
A special viewing of the award-winning film A Plastic Ocean at Marlow Rowing Club attracted more than 70 people on 13 June.
Organised by Rowers Against Rubbish, the screening of A Plastic Ocean is the group’s first public event, with tickets selling out immediately.
Marlow rower Dan Tipney, a founding member of Rowers Against Rubbish, said the organisation recognised how proud the rowing community is of the water environment, adding that individuals had the chance to become responsible stewards of the waterways.
Rowers Against Rubbish member Dora Hargitai added: “Harnessing the power of a community can make significant changes towards fighting pollution and climate change.”
The Marlow screening was attended by special guest Dr Geoff Brighty, a technical director on the team behind the film who helped with both the storytelling and scientific accuracy.
Dr Brighty introduced the screening, saying that any plastic entering the River Thames soon ends up in the English Channel, and beyond, with Marlow and other surrounding areas being very much connected to the wider oceans.
Rowers Against Rubbish is an emerging movement of river users who aim to inspire environment protection action by uniting the rowing and sports communities and those who enjoy the River Thames.
The group has recently launched a pledge on social media (#rowerspledge), which will aim to encourage schools and clubs to reduce waste and champion sustainable sport. This features pledge points such as only using reusable water bottles during training and events, and minimising the use of single-use plastics wherever possible.
All proceeds from the film screening at Marlow Rowing Club were donated to the Marlow RowAbility project, which is currently helping to create safe and accessible water access for all.
For more information about Rowers Against Rubbish, contact Sarah Harwood at [email protected].
Read more about single-use plastics here.
