Ribble Rivers Trust gets donation boost to educate youngsters about caring for our rivers

The boost came after the Clitheroe based charity recently took part in the national Big Give fundraising initiative.

Spokeswoman Charlotte Ireland, project administrator with the Trust, said: "We took part in the Big Give and raised £2,500 which will help with our education and woodland creation work. Education is one of our key activities, and helps to inspire a passion for nature and a love of the outdoors. The aim is that by learning more about rivers, young people will care more about them."

The charity is dedicated to improving and protecting the rivers and streams of the River Ribble catchment. This takes in the rivers Hodder, Calder, Darwen and Douglas and their tributaries, as well as the Ribble. There are 3,479 miles of watercourses in the 750 square mile catchment area.

Education Officer Christi Lloyd said: "Our education and engagement sessions include hands-on practical activities which are local and relevant to the Ribble catchment. This might be running a freshwater micro-safari or tree planting with pupils during school term-time, or family fun days over the summer holidays."

She continued: "When working with children, we are aiming to ignite a passion for the environment and conservation from an early age, with the hope that, as they grow up, this next generation will have the knowledge and desire to help combat climate change."

The Trust works mostly with Key Stage 2 pupils, aged seven to 11, but also attends careers fairs at secondary schools and colleges and works with younger children too. It provides classroom based sessions as well as riverside and field workshops.

Christi added: "The main message we hope to get across is that it is everyone’s responsibility to help our rivers and that everyone is capable of doing so. Beyond the actual sessions, we hope that children will take what they have learnt home and spread it to their families and beyond."

Between last November and next March the Trust plans to work with at least 20 schools and communitites as part of its HEAL (Health and Environmental Action Lancashire) project.

The Trust's Ribble Life Together project, which ran from 2017 to 2021 had a target engagement of 30 primary schools and 900 school children, but exceeded that total working with 64 primary schools and 4,364 school children.

*For more about the Trust and becoming a supporter or volunteer see ribbletrust.org.uk or here

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