Trent Rivers Trust is due to receive nearly £190,000 in funding to connect Stoke-on-Trent communities to their namesake river. The initiative is part of the Shared Prosperity Fund which has attracted a £2.1 million investment to local community organisations. Designed to boost a sense of pride and wellbeing locally, this funding will unlock opportunities to educate and experience the iconic River Trent.
Ruth Needham from the Trent Rivers Trust says:
This is great news for the River Trent, and for the people of Stoke. The source of the Trent is only a few miles north of the city in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Stoke is the first major urban area it visits on its 300km long journey. Providing further education and enjoyment of the Trent in this location is an opportunity to get things right from the start. As well as enabling and encouraging use of the Trent Valley Way, we will work with local businesses to reduce the threat of pollution reaching the river. We will be working with local people on a campaign to highlight sources of pollution.
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said:
We are delighted to be offering over £2 million in funding for a wide range of community-focused organisations as part of the Shared Prosperity Fund. The Trent Rivers Trust will receive £189,633 to deliver an exciting community-led placemaking project which we can’t wait for residents of Stoke-on-Trent to experience.
Thanks to the funding, Trent Rivers Trust will be able to create meaningful connections between communities to their river – a move that is urgent and much-needed. Rivers have risen on the local agenda, so much so, that their current state of pollution has been a voting matter during local elections. Starting later this summer, Trent Rivers Trust will deliver local activities and healthy walks designed to educate, engage and energise locals to improve their wellbeing and that of the Trent.
The benefits of rivers on human wellbeing are well-documented. Exposure to green-blue spaces is estimated to contribute £870 million to the UK economy every year. Bringing nature-based wellbeing to communities in Stoke-on-Trent will be a key part of the project which puts a particular focus on pedestrian access.
In city, vast parts of the river are difficult to navigate to and are hidden from sight. Therefore, part of the funding will look at introducing a new signposted section of the Trent Valley Way. The source-to-sea walking path follows the Trent Valley on its journey from Biddulph Moors to the Humber estuary. Having recently completed a section from Rugeley to Shardlow, the Trent Valley Way is estimated to require another 33-miles of signposted footpath. With Stoke-on-Trent being located a few miles from the source, its arrival in the Staffordshire city marks a major milestone.
Ruth Needham adds:
The Trent Valley has been a 20-year ambition that is nearly as old as the Trent Rivers Trust itself. Bringing the footpath closer to its source is a fantastic opportunity for communities to treasure the Trent.
Contact
Vanessa Sumpmann – Communications Officer
vanessa@trentriverstrust.org
With thanks to our funders
