Make Leeds Swimmable launched their petition on Sunday with a riverside walk from Leeds Dock to Thwaite Mills and back.
With nearly 200 signatures co-founder of the cause Dr Fiona Turner said “the plan is to petition the council and work with the council to get them to sign up to be the signatory to the global movement, swimmable cities movement. We are here because we think it’s something Leeds would benefit from joining”
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said “we are open to further conversations with interested parties to ensure this valuable form of exercise is available to Leeds residents.”
Dr Turner’s motivations are “the blue spaces, the waterways, it’s time they got their own spotlight”.
The event had a small turnout including a councillor from both the Labour and Green party, pedestrians and paddleboarders.
The cause has many benefits including “nature, restoration and climate adaptation for our future wellbeing” said Dr Turner.
Looking after Leeds waterways would also create “commercial opportunities and leisure opportunities, it’s a win win to build on the assets we have in Leeds” like the two rivers, countless becks and lakes said Dr Turner.
The Swimmable campaign launched their charter before the Paris Olympics in 2024 and have since had success following their inaugural summit in Rotterdam in June 2025.
“We’re on a mission to mainstream ‘swimmability’ in urban planning and integrated water management” said Chris Romer-Lee, Swimmable Cities UK representative. “It’s important because without water there is no life!”
“Climate change means our cities are only getting hotter. It’s essential that cities can offer safe and accessible natural water to all citizens to cool down in. We see far too often the tragic loss of life when people enter dangerous waterways because they want to cool down. Councils continue to threaten fines etc but are failing to deal with the real issue, there is nowhere affordable to swim or paddle” said Romer-Lee.
Source: Hannah ClarkAttendee of the event Rohit Singh said “rivers are very, very important throughout human history. More recently due to industrial and business factors we’ve just been neglecting and polluting our rivers to a degree where it’s affecting us”.
“This is something where it’s important to send this message in as many ways as possible to, for example water companies, that aren’t taking their due responsibility and are prioritising profits for their shareholders rather than their duty to the planet that we live on”
Another attendee of the walk Julia Say said “it’s so important for a big city like Leeds to have those outdoor spaces and waterways because we are nowhere near the coast. I think together we can make some changes”.
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said “Leeds City Council is always keen to promote the health benefits of activities such as outdoor swimming where it is safe to do so. We recognise the value that open water swimming can bring to residents and are supportive of opportunities that enable people to be active, safely and in different ways.”