The River Starts Here

• 567 volunteers across the various activities and sites (36 in 2018; 215 in 2019; 270 in 2020; 46 in 2021)
• 20 businesses awarded river-friendly business award
• 60 volunteers who have spent 700 hours on biodiversity enhancements
• 5 water voles took residency in our Hilcote river restoration feature
• Improved access to nature walk at Coppice Brook

Combining Capital Works with wellbeing-oriented volunteering opportunities, connecting walkers with the history of their stream, educating businesses about their impact on the water cycle; it all started with a conversation, an effort to reach out and open up projects to communities.

For Trent Rivers Trust, this was a new way of working and created networks for those who are interested in their local environment but not necessarily wrapped up by the environmental bubble. Trent Rivers Trust provided them with training and support to become river advocates in their own networks and communities.

The River Starts Here focuses on areas that aren’t known for their outstanding natural beauty but are nevertheless important green and semi-natural places for people to enjoy and wildlife to thrive in. Discussions about water quality and biodiversity were needed to highlight areas where communities and businesses working with Trent Rivers Trust could make a difference. The water bodies in this area are small and their impact on the overall health of the catchment system is large but not fully understood. Engaging over 500+ on a community and business level has impacted the appreciation for these small brooks and streams.

• Through a pilot app called ‘Outfall Safari’, we’ve created a portal for local groups to record and report pollution incidents
• The river-friendly business awards provided a stage to celebrate the river-friendly changes local businesses, otherwise unconnected to the river, put into place
• Combining Capital River restoration work with volunteering opportunities for vulnerable adults provided an opportunity to celebrate the small brooks and streams
• Capital Works that prioritise access to its small brooks and streams
• Organised nature walks that connect people to the brooks and streams
• Our campaign called ‘Only Rain down the Drain’ illustrates the connection between consumer behaviour and river health

Funders:

• Greggs
• Esme Fairbairn
• Severn Trent
• The EA