River Volunteering

Volunteer River Management Programme

It’s not a WRaP! 

Although sadly, the externally funded Rivers and People project  came to an end in July 2013, the project has lived on thanks to the partnerships that developed with organisations and individuals with a passion for Lewisham’s waterways.  A eager bunch of volunteers were keen to continue the good work started by the Rivers and People Project and so now regularly help out along Lewisham’s rivers.  Every Tuesday they can be found in either Ladywell Fields, Cornmill Gardens, Brookmill Park or Chinbrook Meadows working hard to improve our rivers.

This programme of events is run in partnership between London Borough of Lewisham and Glendale Grounds Management.  It is a project that offers opportunities for you to improve your fitness by taking part in practical river bankside management related activities in our rivers.  It is a great way to visit areas of Lewisham that you never knew existed while lending a helping hand to improve water habitats for wildlife within the Borough.

The session is free, fun and no experience is needed but please note that although we try to cater for a range of abilities participants do have to be reasonably physically fit to undertake most of the tasks involved.  We therefore reserve the right to decide if this is the most appropriate volunteering scheme for individuals.

All you need to do to join the River Volunteers is fill out a registration form and  then email it back to us. Please read our risk assessment and accompanying briefing notes and also our risk assessment for tools and accompanying briefing notes.

Creekside Discovery Centre

If you would like to explore  Lewisham’s river and tidal creek heritage further and also have fun on the river, please see: Creekside for their ongoing program of events and activities.

Email: Creekside Discovery Centre

Tel: 0208 692 9922

Rivers and People Legacy Project

If you are interested in schools environmental education, the Rivers and People legacy project will continue to run into February 2014. This project is focused on teacher training to help teachers deliver their own outdoor sessions whilst using our equipment. This project is to ensure that the benefits of the Rivers and People project will be sustained long term.

For further information regarding schools environmental education, walks and wades, please contact Emily Millhouse, or visit R&P resources for a wealth of educational resources and information about Lewisham’s rivers or to book a session.

You will also find a number of useful educational tools elsewhere on this blog.  These are not river related, but instead take you in to the Parks and Nature Reserves of Lewisham to learn about habitats and minibeasts.  There are also guides to help you lead your own sessions with your schools.  For more information on these sessions, please contact Emily Millhouse.

The Ravensbourne Catchment Improvement Plan

The Catchment Improvement Plan is an initiative being led by Thames 21 and supported by several partners, including Lewisham Council, to encourage those with an interest in their local rivers to express their views and have a say about the future of the River Pool, the River Quaggy and the River Ravensbourne. The project has a focus on getting local people more involved in their environment and help them to understand more about the rivers in their backyard.

We want to hear your thoughts about your local stretch of the river – what you like about it, what you don’t like, what would help you love it more and finally what you can suggest be done to improve it. (Even if you don’t live near to the river, we’d still like to hear from you if you have comments to make about it!)

Please help us by filling out the questionnaire, so together we can make the entire catchment a better place for both people and wildlife. The information that you provide will be incorporated into the Ravensbourne Catchment Plan.

If you would like more information about this initiative, please visit the Thames 21 website.

Discover the birds of the Waterlink Way

Click on the water rail below, print (double-sided), fold and take it with you on your next walk along the Pool or Ravensbourne.

Taken part in an event? Got an idea for a future activity? Let us know what you think!

Click the link and add a comment to the Rivers and People Feedback wall.  All comments are very welcome.

Many thanks for getting involved!

The Rivers & People Project was funded through Natural England and Big Lottery’s Access to Nature Fund.