Laura Reineke
Laura Reineke
Campaigner | Public Affairs | Public Speaker | Channel Swimmer | Activist
National Campaigns & Public Affairs Leader.
Driving change through campaigning, advocacy and collective action.
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Helping charities, national organisations and grassroots movements create impactful campaigns that inspire public action and influence policy.
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Strategic campaigning and advocacy
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Women's rights and social justice
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Environmental and water advocacy
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Public affairs and lobbying
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Community engagement and mobilisation
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Strategic partnerships and coalition building
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Communications and storytelling
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National Federation of Women's Institutes
Campaigns & Public Affairs Manager
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Leading national campaigns and public affairs work for one of the UK's largest women's membership organisations, representing the collective voice of approximately 175,000 WI members.
Working across women's rights, social justice, environmental protection and wider public policy, I help translate member-led resolutions into national campaigns that influence decision-makers and inspire collective action.
My work includes parliamentary engagement, strategic partnerships, coalition building, policy advocacy and developing opportunities for WI members to make their voices heard on the issues that matter most to them.
Biography
"I regard you as a true river guardian, speaking up and changing things for the better for people, rivers and the web of life they sustain."
Robert Macfarlane
I am a national campaigns and public affairs leader, charity founder, speaker and movement-builder, working across social justice, women's rights and environmental protection. I bring communities, policymakers and organisations together to challenge injustice, influence policy and drive meaningful change.
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As Campaigns & Public Affairs Manager at the National Federation of Women's Institutes, I lead national advocacy and campaigns on issues affecting women, society and the environment, helping turn the collective voice of 175,000 members into political influence and action.
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I founded Friends of the Thames, Henley Music School and Henley Mermaids, mobilising communities, challenging failing systems and building movements for change. I also founded the Henley Community Hub at Trinity Hall, working to bring a youth club back to the heart of the community and create a welcoming space for young people to connect, belong and thrive.
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As Convenor of the Parliament of Rivers with Lawyers for Nature, I connect people and organisations working to protect and restore our waterways, championing the Rights of Nature and the importance of giving rivers a voice.
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I work alongside national coalitions, campaigning networks and advocacy groups, including the steering group for Centenary Action, The Climate Coalition and organisations across the women's rights, social justice and environmental movements. Through these collaborations, I help build collective influence, strengthen partnerships and bring diverse voices into conversations with policymakers and decision-makers.
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My campaigning has attracted national and international media attention, including BBC Newsnight, The New York Times and documentaries such as Jo in the Water and Thames Water: Inside the Crisis.
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Beyond campaigning, I am an ultra-distance open-water swimmer and Triple Crown finisher (#390 worldwide), having completed the English Channel, Manhattan Island and Catalina Channel. I am now pursuing the Original Triple Crown of English Channel, Bristol Channel & North Channel, as well as Oceans Seven, using endurance swimming as a platform for resilience, storytelling and environmental advocacy.
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At the heart of everything I do is a belief in the power of people, collaboration and collective action to create lasting change.
Inspirational Talks
discover purpose later in life
The accidental Activist
How Ordinary People Create Extraordinary Change
Endurance, Courage & the mind
Lessons from Ultra-Marathon Swimming
our freshwater future
Threats & What We Stand to Lose
Body confidence & breaking limits
Reading Climate Action Week
Online
What is the true state of our river, and why should we care?
Thursday 11th June 17:30
London Climate Action Week
Shakespeares Globe
Letters to the Earth
Sunday 21st June 13:30
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London Climate Action Week
Conduit Club
Rights of Nature & River Guardianship
25th June 2026. 18:00
Rivers Summit & Festival
Henley-on-Thames
Rights of Nature & River Guardianship
4 & 5th September 2026
One of only 150 women to hold the Triple Crown of Marathon Swims.
#390
I am an experienced open water swimmer now embarking on the Oceans Seven challenge — one of the greatest endurance feats in the world of swimming, which only 42 people globally have completed.
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Having already completed all three swims that make up the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming — the English Channel, 20 Bridges swim around Manhattan Island and Catalina Channel. Laura one of only a handful of women over 50 ever to achieve it.
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Oceans seven of the world’s most challenging channel swims, spanning the globe from New Zealand’s Cook Strait to Japan’s Tsugaru Strait.
Each crossing is more than an athletic test; it’s part of my wider mission to protect and celebrate the world’s rivers and oceans, using every swim to raise awareness for clean, healthy, and free-flowing waters for all.
Media
LBC - Bathing Water Status
Sky News - River Roding fly-tip
Good Morning Britain - Water White Paper
BBC Morning Live - Kidlington fly-tip
Testimonials
"This morning you came here to North Islington, the smallest, and most densely populated constituency in the country & you gave us wonderful description, an utterly brilliant account of the work that FoTT does, your life and your community in Henley, and the determination you have to make the Thames clean by making the tributaries clean."
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Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn - Independent MP for Islington North, and former opposition leader.
"It was so interesting to learn about endurance swimming, both the globe trotting aspect, but also the less glamorous bits! Not only are you our first speaker to rock up in a swimsuit, you are also a force of nature and an inspirational speaker."
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Women's Institute - Henley-on-Thames
"Laura Reineke is a charismatic and engaging speaker who brings passion and energy to every conversation about our environment. At Greener Henley’s ‘Big Green Conversation: Our River’ at the Kenton Theatre in Henley, she captivated the audience with her knowledge and commitment to protecting our waterways. Her ability to connect with people and inspire action makes her a powerful advocate for the river, and we are grateful for the impact she has had in raising awareness about the challenges facing our river."
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Kate Oldridge - Founder, Greener Henley
"Laura is a natural speaker, combining her trademark say-it-how-it-is style of honest and enthralling storytelling with a deep felt commitment to inspiring personal action and bringing about change, unafraid to hold powerful people to account and give voice to those that are often ignored."​
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James Wallace - CEO River Action UK
Swims Completed
2020 - 2026
English Channel 5 person Relay
Thames Marathon x 5 coming second 2/4
Henley Swim Unlimited - 7k
Henley Classic x5
Wild Wye - 10k
Winter Swimming World Champs - Bled, Solvenia
Welsh winter swim, Snowdonia (came 3rd in 250m)
Summer Swimming Champs - Bled, Slovenia 5k
Club 2 Pub x2
Henley Mile
Great Fjord Swim, Ireland
Robben Island S.A
North Channel 4 person relay
Bristol Channel 4 person relay
English Channel Solo 15:23 (56k)
Scilly Isles 1-day event 15k
20 Bridges Manhattan Island 48.5k
Catalina Channel 20.5 miles
Bantham Boomerang
King of the Thames
Swim London
English Channel
Catalina Channel
Cook Strait
Tsugaru Strait
Strait of Gibraltar - Reserved 2027
Molokai Channel
North Channel
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English Channel
Bristol Channel - Sept 2027
North Channel
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If you'd like to become a sponsor, and help:
Inspire others.
Clean up the worlds waterways for future generations.
Witness a reversal in the decline of biodiversity in both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
