In Partnership with Visit Britain

Active360

When most people think about travelling, they think about having to work their butts off for months on end just to afford it — but what people don’t know is, on a Microgap, they can discover hidden gems on their very own doorsteps.

To the uninitiated, a Microgap is a way of experiencing all the fun, excitement and adventure of a gap year without the need for a huge budget and all right here in the UK.

Incredibly, London, one of the most famous cities in the world, attracts more than 30 million overseas visitors every year. With its historic architecture, iconic red buses and stunning skyline, it’s not hard to see why.

PA Images

But when it comes to visiting the capital for volunteering, what does London really have that compares to hopping on a plane to help at an elephant orphanage half way across the planet? Well, quite a lot actually.

That’s where Paddle and Pick with Active360 comes in.

Paddleboarding may be something you’ve only ever thought of doing in the Bahamas, but did you know it’s actually possible to do it on our very own River Thames? And if that’s not enough to entice you, you can help save the environment at the same time too.

Active360

It’s estimated up to 300 tonnes of rubbish is thrown into the River Thames every year. Researchers have also found up to 75% of fish in the Thames have plastic fibres in their gut, which ends up affecting the whole food chain.

It’s a huge problem we have on our hands, locally and globally.

So in order to create a cleaner, healthier environment, Active360 created Paddle and Pick, a charitable activity that lets you paddle along the River Thames, seeing the sights and sounds of London town from the water itself, while clearing rubbish from it.

Active360

If you’ve never experienced paddleboarding before, it’s a lot of fun and really easy to learn — and you’ll get a proper workout from it. Kneeling or standing on a big surfboard-type board, you’ll use a long paddle to pull yourself along the water, taking in the peaceful surroundings as you go.

As you move along the river, seeing London from a vantage point a bit more off the beaten track, you’ll probably see bits of plastic floating about — everything from thoughtlessly discarded water bottles to shopping bags and broken garden chairs — that you can scoop up and keep with you for proper disposal once you’re out of the water.

At the end of the day, you’ll not only have learned a new water sport, but you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped clear a part of the river from the blight of plastic pollution.

Active360

And after you’re back on dry land, the guides at Active360 will give you more advice on how to cut down on your plastic use, so you can go away feeling empowered to be greener in your everyday life.

Eco-tourism and giving back to the communities you’re visiting can take many shapes or forms… including paddleboarding down the River Thames.

So why not give it a try? See London from a different perspective and give back to nature at the same time on a Microgap.

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is a pint sized person and journalist at UNILAD. After studying Multimedia Journalism at the University of Salford, she did a year at Caters News Agency as a features writer in Birmingham before deciding that Manchester is (arguably) one of the best places in the world, and therefore moved back up north. She’s also UNILAD’s unofficial crazy animal lady.