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Introducing the 2019 – 20 Rivers Trust Review

Rebecca Duncan

20/07/20

We’re extremely excited to share the 2019-20 Rivers Trust Review, in what has been a pivotal year for our growing movement.

The latest publication from The Rivers Trust details the outputs of Rivers Trusts across the UK and Ireland from the last 12 months. In the review, you can find out where our member trusts are based and the ground they cover, see the headlines from across the movement, and discover some of our key case studies.

Local trusts are the beating heart of our movement and we’re incredibly proud of the work they achieve. This review demonstrates the successes they have had in the past year, including:

  • Creating or restoring more than 70 wetlands
  • Working with over 500 schools
  • Assisting more than 100 communities at risk of flooding
  • Easing, passing or removing more than 100 barriers to fish migration
  • Completing 25 SUDs or rain garden projects
  • Opening up 391km of river to fish passage
  • Working on over 1900 farms
  • Holding over 500 river clean ups
  • Planting nearly 224k trees
This incredible work is only possible thanks to over 13,000 volunteers engaged with by our member trusts. The new review highlights work by West Cumbria Rivers Trust to fight against plastic pollution, community engagement and heritage projects by Don Catchment Rivers Trust, river restoration with Wessex Rivers Trust, and citizen science initiatives by Bristol Avon Rivers Trust. These projects represent just a small section of our growing body of work, all of which contributes to our vision of wild, healthy, natural rivers. The national outlook is similarly positive, as we continue and expand our Replenish programme in partnership with Coca-Cola and embark on exciting international projects with partners from across Europe. We are also focusing on the growth of the Rivers Trust movement itself, establishing ourselves as a household name and increasing our potential to work with government, public and private sector bodies to improve the health of our rivers.

Looking forward

Despite this progress, there are still challenges ahead. Only 14% of rivers in England and Wales are in good ecological health, and the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to find new ways of operating. However, we are hopeful that the Rivers Trust movement will move from strength to strength and improve the health of rivers for all to enjoy.

Click here to view the review!

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