Affinity Water joined Groundwork South and many Landscape Partnership members to celebrate the achievements of the three year long programme of work to improve the Colne Valley Park, its conservation and enjoyment by the local community.
The Landscape Partnership event on the 29th September brought together wildlife organisations, local authorities, and water companies, under the leadership of community charity Groundwork South, who are the managing agent of the Park. By sharing their expertise, time and resources, all partners contributed to range of ambitious objectives and created a lasting legacy.
The £1.6m of National Lottery funding and a further £900k of local funding enabled practical restoration of the park’s landscape, and initiatives reconnecting local communities with their heritage, raising awareness of the Colne Valley across a wider range of people through learning activities, providing detailed information and interpretation resources, organising cultural events and creating volunteering opportunities.
Anna Jarmolinska-Nowak Affinity Water’s CSR Manager said:
“A partnership approach is needed if we are to protect our rivers and wetlands from the impacts of increasing water demand and climate change. Affinity Water has been supporting ‘Keeping Rivers Flowing’ programme from the very outset.
“We worked collaboratively with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to show the connection between saving water at home and protecting the local wildlife. We have received some excellent feedback from all the organisations that helped shape this message and come up with a novel film ‘save water, save wildlife’. It shows the beauty of local wildlife at Stocker’s Lake within the Park, and highlights the partnership approach which is needed to help stop water wastage at home. It gives some practical examples of how local communities can make little changes to help and how we need to act together and take action.”
Chloe Crompton, Project Manager for the Landscape Partnership Scheme, said:
“Together with Affinity Water we delivered Drip Drop Summer School, created Water Saving Leaflets in 14 different languages, launched Water Ambassadors Programme and produced a ‘Save Water, Save Wildlife’ film to help engage local community and share practical advice.”
Deborah Valman from Groundwork South who managed the whole programme said,
“The Lottery-funded Landscape Partnership the LLP has been easily the best thing that has happened to the Colne Valley Regional Park in at least the last 20 years. It has enabled the Colne Valley to significantly ramp up delivery of aspirations to Protect, Enhance and Promote the Regional Park.
“Through the programme 19 projects have been delivered with 17 different partners, 800 volunteers got involved who spend 8,000 hours delivering work on the ground.
“In this increasingly challenging environment, it is essential that we develop a Future Plan following on from the LLP as the next step to ensure the future of this unique, precious green space on the edge of our capital city.”