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Executive Summary
Rivers and Wetlands
Community Days
Improving rivers and wetlands for
people, floods and wildlife
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Executive Summary: Rivers and Wetlands Community
Days “transforming rivers and wetlands where you live”
Aim: work together to collaboratively develop and deliver a three-year rolling
programme of practical days providing opportunities for local people to restore and
enhance their rivers and wetlands, care for them in future years and build lasting
relationships to achieve greater benefits from water environments. Each year we will
focus on World Rivers Day which, for 2014, will be on 28 September.
What are Rivers and Wetlands Community Days?
These days provide communities with technical skills, materials and extra pairs of
hands to do practical work to improve rivers, wetlands and stillwaters and use natural
processes to reduce flood risk. They offer inspiring and engaging days for
communities, joining up catchments in Thames and South East river basin districts.
Supported by a Delivery Partnership including the Environment Agency, these days
will be led by delivery partners like the Wild Trout Trust, Institute of Fisheries
Management, Rivers or Wildlife Trusts.
This annual programme has developed collaboratively with water interest groups
following excellent feedback from people involved in similar events over the last three
years. This upcoming programme aims to build on these successes and make Rivers
and Wetlands Community Days more widely available, higher quality and with
tailored support.
Colne Habitat Masterclass 2013
Three Rivers Clean up 2012
Loddon Rivers Week 2012
Chess Masterclass 2012
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What will Rivers and Wetlands Community Days achieve?
1. Community Days. Facilitate local communities in carrying out practical work
re-naturalising habitats, improving and protecting the ecology of their local
rivers, wetlands and stillwaters benefitting people, economies and wildlife
2. A three year Rivers and Wetlands Community Days programme
developed collaboratively with multiple benefits
3. Inspiring others to get energised and enthused about caring for their local
water environment leading to the establishment of new environmental
stewardship and amenity groups
4. Increased participation and better links between catchment partnerships,
flood groups, local nature partnerships and local enterprise partnerships
5. Benefitting all catchments through ‘how to’ packs, case studies, successes
and top tips, events and on-the-ground delivery
6. Partnership funding enhanced with matching funding, assistance in kind
and volunteer input
7. Sharing and delivering best practice with technical support, techniques and
project appraisals building on successful Thames, Wye and Loddon Rivers
Weeks, Colne Habitat Masterclass and Three Rivers Clean up in London
8. Linking countries on World Rivers Day, a global celebration of the world’s
waterways on the 28 September 2014 by providing an international case
study of collaborative river basin delivery
9. Help deliver key drivers like the Water Framework Directive, Habitats
Directive and Floods Directive and other legal and policy drivers bringing to
life local initiatives including the Catchment Based Approach
10. Great media opportunities for local groups and sponsors and increased
environmental awareness.
How is the programme of work decided?
Rivers and
Wetlands
Community Days
deliver action,
monitor and feed
back
Catchment
partnership or
community
identifies a need
Principle delivery
partner and main
sponsor is
identified
Delivery
Partnership assess
the proposals and
makes
recommendations
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How can you get involved in making it happen?
Partnership
The Rivers and Wetlands Community Days are about businesses and local
communities working with the Wild Trout Trust, Angling Trust, Wildlife Trusts, the
Environment Agency, NGOs, landowners and fisheries to make a real difference to
our rivers and wetlands.
Funding
This has the potential for being a prestigious, internationally recognised river and
wetland enhancement programme, which will draw on funding from a variety of
sources both in cash and in kind. There is approximately £50K available per annum
to support projects. It is anticipated that individual project awards will be up to
approximately £5000. It is hoped that successful applicants will come forward with
additional, locally-sourced finance and contributions.
In kind support
Local community groups or catchment partnerships can get involved by putting
forward suggestions for action, supporting organising events, promoting the
programme thorough their communications channels and offering the skills, expertise
and energy of their members on the day.
Governance and the Delivery Partnership
The programme will be overseen by a Delivery Partnership made up of the Wild
Trout Trust, Angling Trust, Environment Agency, Local Nature Partnership and other
supporting NGOs. They will also be responsible for determining funding applications,
which will have to successfully meet the programme’s priorities set out in a simple
application form.
Delivery partner and expert oversight
The Wild Trout Trust will be the programme’s principal delivery partner in the Thames
catchment for habitat work though other expert bodies might support applicants.
They will provide practical assistance and expertise to ensure that all projects
optimise their benefits for people and wildlife, help reduce flood risk and are carried
out safely and professionally. Further expert support will also be provided by the
Delivery Partnership including the Environment Agency.
Applicants
The programme is open to community groups including Water Framework Directive
Catchment Hosts.
Publicity
There is significant scope for very positive media coverage of business and
communities working together to enhance rivers and wetlands for the benefit of
people and wildlife. There will be regular national, regional and local publicity
opportunities before and during the activities. In order to help build recognition of this
programme, a logo has been developed and a gate post badge that says: ‘Rivers and
Wetlands Community Days 2014’.
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Volunteers helping with practical events in the Colne and Loddon said:
“Thank you so much for organising the training
day today. I thoroughly enjoyed myself - I still
can't get over just how quickly the river flow
was changing after our cutting and building.
The "trout" guys obviously know exactly what
they are doing. I think I must arrange a trip to
Harmondsworth for our local RSPB just to see
what it looks like in a few months time. It was
good to hear some other sides of water
management too - I'll definitely use my new
shower head!”
Loddon Rivers Week 2013, River
Blackwater
“I hope that we'll be able to get things going at
Boxmoor before long - I'm quite addicted to
standing in the middle of a river - so long as
it's not too cold - or wet!”
Loddon Rivers Week 2014, River
Blackwater
“Thank you so much for yesterday’s
experience. It was great to spend the day in
such pleasant and experienced company. I
shall most certainly put the knowledge gained
to good use on my river”
“We had a fantastic day and it was great fun
too!”
“I have finally dried out after Tuesday on the
Gade and have been down for a look. The
river is looking great, and some new chub on
station by upstream deflectors. Please convey
my thanks to all concerned for the day and all
their wet hard work”
Colne Habitat Masterclasses 2014
Contact: To coordinate your interest and discuss next steps, please contact either
Shaun Leonard, Wild Trout Trust: director@wildtrout.org
Dominic Martyn, Environment Agency: dominic.martyn@environment-agency.gov.uk
Martin Salter, Angling Trust: martin.salter@anglingtrust.net