Aviva Community Fund is providing live match funding
Wasteshark River Cleanup Project
by paul in Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Total raised £2,904
+ est. £112.50
£24,000 target
49 days left
12%
96 supporters
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Your donation will be matched
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 10th July 2025 at 4:19pm
Leeds WasteShark is seeking your help in raising £24,000 to secure its future and maintain its mission to clean up Leeds' rivers and canals.
by paul in Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
The Leeds WasteShark needs your help to maintain its mission of cleaning up Leeds’s rivers and canals.
Launched in 2024 by the Leeds Waterfront Group, WasteShark has so far successfully removed over 3,500 litres of organic matter, plastics and other debris that would otherwise be clogging up our vital waterways, damaging the environment and harming wildlife.
Aquatic litter in inland freshwater systems exacerbates the climate emergency by emitting greenhouse gases during decomposition, damaging vital carbon sinks and increasing flood risks.
The litter also directly threatens biodiversity by causing injury, poisoning, habitat destruction, and the introduction of invasive species. Protecting freshwater biodiversity requires actively managing litter through prevention, cleanup and education and the Waste Shark creates opportunities for addressing all of these aspects.
Before After
Currently operating one day a week, we now want to raise funds to keep the WasteShark afloat and, if possible, expand its operations to two days with a target of removing 4,500 litres of additional litter.
So, what will your donation support?
- Hire and service contract for the WasteShark device
- Cover the costs of the two-man team it takes to operate the WasteShark
- Storage and maintenance
- Ongoing operations including cleaning and maintenance of the main workboat
- Disposal and recycling of rubbish collected
- Ongoing reporting of the progress WasteShark makes
Our target is to reach £24,000 which will keep WasteShark operating for a year at its current level of one day on the water a week.
If we can reach £34,000 we can then expand its operations to two days a week.
“Unfortunately, millions of pieces of litter end up in our waterways. We've got birds that live along here, otters, and water voles.
"I've seen a moorhen trying to make a nest out of a trolley and crisp packets, so it's really good to see the waste removed."
Becca Dent, the Canal and Rivers Trust.