MERSEY RIVERS WEEK 14-19 JULY

It's Mersey Rivers Trust’s annual “Mersey Rivers Week” this week running from Monday 14 July to Saturday 19th July across Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

The week-long event celebrates the environment, wildlife and recreational benefits of the rivers that form the River Mersey. From the Peak District to the Mersey Estuary, there are over 4,000km of river which are home to a wide range of wildlife, including fish, insects and birds. Local people across Greater Manchester, Merseyside and most of Cheshire can also enjoy access to the Mersey's rivers for recreation, health and well-being.

As well as various activities each day showcasing the work of Mersey Rivers Trust, there will also be several free public events taking place:

  • guided walk along the River Irk from Manchester Victoria Station to Queen’s Park, Manchester (Wednesday 16th) 
  • guided circular walk along the River Mersey from Jackson's Boat footbridge (Trafford) to Chorlton Water Park (Manchester) and Sale Water Park, Trafford (Friday 18th)
  • a “Bioblitz” for the public to help survey the wildlife along the River Alt at Millbrook Miillennium Green, Kirkby, Liverpool (Saturday 19th)

John Sanders, co-Director at the Mersey Rivers Trust commented: “Our Mersey Rivers Week highlights how our staff and community volunteers are working to improve the health of their local rivers for people and wildlife.  Our work is helping to increase the number of fish, insects, birds and other wildlife in our rivers, but there is much more we still need to do to further improve the river environment". 

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👋It's national Volunteers Week and so we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time to help Mersey Rivers Trust over the past year!

Your help is greatly appreciated, from river monitoring to litter picks to building leaky dams or tackling invasive plants along our rivers. Your support makes a real difference to improving the Mersey rivers for local people and wildlife across Greater Manchester, Merseyside and most of Cheshire.

If you would like to come and help us, all our volunteer events and activities are posted on our website and/or Eventbrite page and social media.

Thank you all so much from the staff and Trustees at Mersey Rivers Trust.

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Irk litter 2

 

Starting at midday on Tuesday 22 April it is the Big Give Green Match Funding Week - and

running to midday on Tuesday 29 April.

If you can, please make a donation to help us continue our work with local communities in

Greater Manchester, Merseyside & Cheshire to improve local rivers for people & wildlife.

Every £ donated is doubled: one donation, twice the impact!

To make a donation, please click below to go to our Big Give Green Week fundraising page:

Championing Community Action to Improve the Mersey – Big Give

Big Give JPEG

Your kind donation will help us run more community volunteer working parties to improve the

local river environment, deliver more school visits to rivers and carry out more monitoring of the

health of our local rivers.

Many thanks for your support !

The Mersey Rivers Trust Team

River Community Gathering at Film Screening: "Rave On For the Avon"

An invitation from the Film Director, Charlotte Sawyer

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Dear friends,

Come along to a river community gathering this Sunday at 5pm in Liverpool. 

I'd like to invite you to celebrate the power of community and citizen science at a documentary screening in Liverpool Sunday 18th May 5pm. This uplifting gem of a documentary explores our connection to nature in this modern world: "Rave On For The Avon" and The Rivers Trust have partnered with the filmmakers at screenings across the country. Bring your friends and family to show them how citizen science and campaigning can make a difference. 

This inspiring film explores people's love and connection to their favourite swimming spot, blending stunning visuals with a great soundtrack. It’s a celebration of how creativity and passion can bring people together for a vital cause—protecting our rivers, lakes and oceans. Rated ★★★★ by The Guardian

📅 "Rave On For The Avon" is screening at Liverpool's FACT Cinema on Sunday 18th May at 5 PM. 

There will be a Q&A following the screening with Director Charlotte Sawyer who is from Liverpool and lives in Bristol, plus John Sanders from Mersey Rivers Trust talking about the work of the Mersey Rivers Trust and the Catchment Monitoring Co-operative community groups active in the Mersey.

https://www.eightysita.com/post/wild-swimming-documentary-at-the-liverpool-fact-picturehouse-cinema-sun-18th-may

You can watch the trailer and learn more using this link. Please book in advance, you can also book the tickets here: https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/013/HO00015599/green-screen-rave-on-for-the-avon-panel-with-director-charlotte-sawyer

#RaveOnForTheAvon

LEARN MORE: https://linktr.ee/raveonfortheavon 

FOLLOW THE FILM ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/raveonfortheavon/

Landmark partnership agreement signed to create ambitious plan for a cleaner Mersey across Liverpool City Region.

Mersey Rivers Trust is delighted to have signed a partnership agreement with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and United Utilities to accelerate the clean-up of the River Mersey.  The agreement was announced today by the three partners at Spike Island in Widnes on the Mersey Estuary:

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John Sanders, Co-Director of the Mersey Rivers Trust, praised the collaborative approach and its potential to build on decades of progress in improving the health of local waterways:

“The Mersey Rivers Trust is proud to be part of this pioneering partnership. Over the years, we’ve seen the Mersey recover from one of the most polluted rivers in Europe to a symbol of environmental regeneration. This agreement ensures that we continue to build on that success, helping to deliver the Government’s national water quality goals while making our local rivers cleaner and more accessible for everyone. Mersey Rivers Trust will continue its work engaging with a wide range of local community and charity partners in supporting the plan development".  

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said the agreement was an opportunity to demonstrate how national and local leadership can work together to deliver meaningful change:

“The River Mersey is part of who we are – a symbol of our past and our future. We’ve made huge progress in cleaning up the river over the last 30 years, but now it’s time to finish the job. By working together with United Utilities, the Mersey Rivers Trust and the Government, we will accelerate the clean-up of our great river and work towards my ambition of a discharge-free Mersey by 2030.

“This partnership is about delivering on the Government’s national plan while demonstrating how local leadership can help accelerate progress. If we can do this in the Liverpool City Region, we can set a standard for others to follow. Together, we can make the Mersey – and rivers across the country – cleaner, greener, and healthier for future generations.”

The Liverpool City Region’s approach is designed to support and enhance the delivery of the Government’s national targets, while bringing forward faster local action. Under the MOU, the partners will develop a five-year pipeline of projects focused on improving water quality, reducing flood risks, and enhancing biodiversity. These projects will also explore innovative nature-based solutions, such as sustainable drainage systems and natural flood management techniques, to reduce pressure on the sewer network and cut the risk of overflows.

The partnership will work to ensure that local rivers meet and exceed national standards under the Water Framework Directive, supporting the Government’s aim for rivers to achieve ‘Good’ ecological status. Additionally, the partners are committed to enhancing public access to the region’s waterways, creating cleaner and safer spaces for communities to enjoy.

Louise Beardmore, Chief Executive Officer of United Utilities, welcomed the agreement and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to working in partnership to deliver results:

“We have an ambitious plan, including the largest ever investment programme in water and wastewater infrastructure in a century, to transform the region’s waterways and enable the step change people want to see. Our investment to significantly reduce discharges from storm overflows and improve water quality builds on our legacy partnership and founding membership of the Mersey Basin Campaign, which showed what we can achieve when we work together.

“We care deeply about the River Mersey and will continue to do everything we can to ensure its healthy future. That’s why we are fully committed to working in partnership with the Liverpool City Region and Mersey Rivers Trust to deliver transformational improvements that support the Government’s goals for the water sector.”

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The Liverpool City Region’s initiative is not only a local project, but a demonstration of how regional action can help deliver national outcomes. By directly contributing to the targets set out in the Government’s Plan for the Water Sector, the partnership aims to serve as a model for other regions, showing how local leadership, industry collaboration, and community involvement can drive faster progress on water quality.

Mayor Rotheram praised the Government’s leadership on water quality and highlighted how local partnerships can help deliver faster results:

“The Government’s Plan for the Water Sector is a welcome step forward in protecting our rivers, and I want to make sure that Liverpool City Region is at the forefront of delivering that mission. This isn’t about pointing fingers – it’s about rolling up our sleeves and working together to solve the problem. With this agreement, we’re showing how national ambition, local leadership, and industry action can come together to deliver results faster, for people, communities, and nature.”

The agreement between the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, United Utilities, and the Mersey Rivers Trust will also include a joint programme of water management projects in collaboration with local authorities, developers, and community organisations.

These projects will align with the Government’s objectives for reducing pollution, protecting habitats, and increasing the resilience of water infrastructure to climate change impacts.

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