Issued by the Tyne Rivers Trust:
The Trust is calling for people to get involved with our vital work conserving and regenerating the River Tyne. Volunteers can choose how much time they contribute and can get involved with a diverse range of tasks including events, surveys, education, practical tasks and IT.
We have received money from Greggs Foundation to develop our work with volunteers and other organisations in the Tyne’s urban tributaries: the Don, Derwent and Ouseburn. The project will give volunteers fantastic opportunities to help stabilize river banks using green engineering techniques, improve access to urban sections of the river and carry out riverfly monitoring.
Our work on the River Tyne and its tributaries over the past ten years has resulted in significant improvements to large stretches of the river. The Trust’s volunteers, who have opportunities to learn new skills, get outside and be part of a friendly team, are essential to making these improvements in the river’s condition.
Volunteers litter picking at Walker Riverside(left) and Electrofishing on the North Tyne(right).
both images taken by Simone Price
Simone Price, Volunteer Coordinator for the Tyne Rivers Trust says: “If you have even a small amount of spare time and would like to find out more about the river, volunteering is a great way of doing it.
“We have been fortunate in receiving funding from Greggs Community Challenge Fund to expand our volunteering network into the urban part of the Tyne catchment. This is a fantastic opportunity to reach out to people who want to get involved in the conservation of the river Tyne and its tributaries in areas that we have not previously been able to work with volunteers.
“We have tasks to suit everyone, whether you like working in groups, by yourself, outside, in the office or prefer to be at home. You would be part of a small friendly team, carrying out varied and rewarding work. We can tailor the work to your interests, skills and availability and provide training, equipment and transport where required.”
Norman Hooks, a long-time volunteer said ”I have been volunteering with Tyne Rivers Trust for nearly 8 years, I love the team spirit and working outside in beautiful places. I’ve done a wide variety of tasks and it’s great to see the positive impacts of the work we are doing.”
The health of the River Tyne has improved in recent years although there is still more work to be done. Our volunteers work with us to improve the ecology of the River Tyne, to provide education programmes, attend events for publicity and carry out species monitoring on the river.
Volunteer groups operate up and down the length of the river and its tributaries, so if you’d like to get involved email s.price@tyneriverstrust.org or call 01434 636902.