Want to find out more about the PLA and what we do on the river? Why not grab a cup of tea, sit down and watch our latest film – a six minute break will tell you all you need to know. Alternatively, we’ve got a short version of some 90 seconds if you’ve only got time for an espresso.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon George Osborne MP, recently opened the new Tilbury Training Academy at the Port of Tilbury. The Chancellor said: “Creating jobs and getting people into employment are central to building a stronger, more competitive economy. Government action is creating long-term training and career opportunities for hard-working people, and it is at places like the Tilbury Training Academy that young people will develop the skills they need to enter the workforce.
And what better place for them to do this than right next to London’s major port, a big employer from where UK manufactured goods are shipped all over the world.”

Commenting on the launch Perry Glading, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports (owners of The Port of Tilbury) said:
“We need a skilled workforce to deliver the excellent service levels our customers require and the academy’s programmes are a significant part of our strategy.”

A Thames River Watch project, designed to gather important data to gauge the health of the tidal Thames, has been launched by waterway charity Thames21. The project, being funded for three years by the Thames Tideway Tunnel, will work with individuals, partner groups, schools and businesses to gather information about water quality, litter and wildlife in the tidal Thames, from Teddington

out to Haven Point, Essex and Warden Point on the Isle of Sheppey. Launched on 17 February, the project is calling for volunteers to undergo some basic training and commit to a few
hours each month for testing water quality and reducing litter along the shores of the river.