Local community programme, East Halton RiverCare has been announced as the winner of the 2021 Humber Nature Partnership Award.
The volunteer programme is delivered by Keep Britain Tidy, a national environmental charity, in partnership with Anglian Water, and supported locally by the Humber Nature Partnership, Able UK, North Lincolnshire Council and Humberside Police.
Since they were established on 19th September 2020, the group have cleared over 2,500kg of litter and covered 3.5 square kilometres of the designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Before the RiverCare team set their sights on caring for the area, it was easy to find rubbish that had been left behind along the foreshore at East Halton Skitter. Mattresses, nappies, wet wipes, glass bottles, plastic bags, tyres and a bathroom suite were all present. These items pose a risk to wildlife and local residents alike, as well as being unsightly.
Over the course of 10 river clean events, 179 bags of waste have been removed, including 1,005 cans, 1,067 plastic bottles, 206 glass bottles, 8 car tyres, a gas mask and a Mr Potato Head toy.
The Humber Estuary is a European Marine Site and a wetland of international importance that supports a massive number of wildfowl and waders which regularly use the mudflats and saltmarsh. The work that the volunteers undertake in removing litter pollution is absolutely crucial in keeping the area as clean, safe and natural for those key species as possible.
Lisa Backhouse from East Halton Rivercare said “The area had been viewed by some as a ‘no-go’ area in the past due to huge amounts of litter being dumped and frequent issues with anti-social behaviour. It has been fantastic to see the community come together with the support of Humberside Police and Able UK to return the site to its former glory for both residents and local wildlife”.
Catherine Holborn from Keep Britain Tidy said, “On behalf of the RiverCare & BeachCare programme, Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water, I would like to say how delighted and astonished we are at the work the volunteers of East Halton RiverCare have achieved in such a short amount of time. Since they were established, they have made a visible difference to the health of the Skitter and the foreshore of the Estuary and can be immensely proud of what they have achieved. We are very grateful to the Humber Nature Partnership for their support and recognition of the team’s efforts.”
Darren Clarke, Manager of Humber Nature Partnership said “We’re really pleased to present our award to East Halton RiverCare. The group has made a real, noticeable difference to their part of the estuary and the result of their hard work is a great example of what can be achieved when local people work together to improve their natural environment. We hope the group continues to go from strength to strength though we also hope that they don’t ever have to work as hard as they have done over the past year again!”
