Healthy Rivers - Sirhowy

The Opportunity

Groundwork Caerphilly delivers environmental, social and economic regeneration initiatives within the South East Wales, through community participation and engagement. The Trust works alongside local communities, public bodies, private companies and other voluntary sector organisations to support communities in need. We help people and organisations make changes in order to create better neighbourhoods, build skills and job prospects and live and work in a greener way.

Groundwork Caerphilly’s Healthy River Programme promotes the local Rivers to the communities and groups, whilst also improving the local environment around the water way.

Groundwork has been operating a Healthy Rivers programme which works in partnership with South East Wales Rivers Trust and Environment Agency Wales/Natural Resource Wales to co-ordinate the removal or modification of barriers of fish migration

The Healthy Rivers Programme has:

worked with a range of partners including Caerphilly County Borough Council, SEWRT and EAW/NRW, and other organisations to co-ordinate and facilitate the removal of barriers that restrict fish migration along the Sirhowy River
maintained a Steering Group of interested parties
researched and identified landowners on which the barriers are present, and sourced permissions from land owners to in order to remove these barriers
co-ordinated the removal of barriers, conserved, and restored the water environment and associated habitats of the River Sirhowy
promoted and educated the River Sirhowy and Fishing to local communities, groups and schools

The funding sought would expand the programme to increase its environmental education/promotion of rivers to the local communities and schools (point 5) through workshops, classes and events the Programme will educate the local communities on the function and health of the river, including the impact it has on the ecology.

We will work in partnership with schools to maximise linkage of the programme to the curriculum

We will informally educate people through river bank clean ups and habitat improvements with local volunteers

The Location

Caerphilly & Newport. Longer term this programme will also be working in Torfaen

In-Kind Support Required

Yes

Type of Support Required

Advice on local habits.
Construction advice on the removal of fish migration barrier (river weirs etc), and fencing/land erosion
Assistance with promotional material for the programme.

Financial Support Required

Yes

Value of Support Required

Currently have funding until November 2013 for the Project Officer but the programme require further funding to continue the good work achieved in its first years.

Overall project costs are £37,000 per annum and partner contribution towards project costs would be welcomed.