Funding stream for Better Rivers on the Bollin and Birkin, Cheshire
A team from United Utilities met with fishing enthusiasts from Bollin and Birkin Flyfishing Association (Friday 17th May) to present and demonstrate safety equipment, water testing kits and information boards. The Cheshire angling club has fishing rights on the rivers Bollin, Birkin, Mobberley Brook and Peover Eye, including the Lake at Peover Hall.
The group successfully applied to receive support from the water company’s Better River Fund to help them act and raise awareness of the need to protect and support better rivers in the area.
A member of the group said, “The biosecurity kits are used to clean down boots and waders after being in the river to avoid transferring any Invasive Species and the display boards will be used to show the work that the club is involved with at two local Cheshire Country Fares held in August at Peover and Tabley.
Volunteers will use the water quality monitoring kits to regularly collect data which they will be downloading to the Angling Trust Epicollet5 app which collect national information.
Emma Birch, Area Engagement Manager for United Utilities said, “We are pleased to have been able to support the Bollin and Birkin Flyfishing Association and look forward to continuing engagement with the volunteers and the wider community to build better rivers and a stronger, greener, healthier region.”
The community fund was established in November last year and is one of the original commitments of the Better Rivers Better North West programme.
The fund invites applicants to apply for support up to the value of £2,500. Its purpose is to support grassroots, local groups with an interest in improving local river environments and to forge strong connections with those groups who really know and understand local waterways.
Chris Matthews from United Utilities explains: “As well as bringing environmental improvements these projects often provide an opportunity to meet new people learn skills and improve health and wellbeing. The application process is quick and simple and community groups who want to help improve their local river environment just need to write to us with their contact details, explaining the project and the equipment they need.”
Application enquiries can be emailed to stakeholderrelations@uuplc.co.uk detailing a brief outline of the organisation/group and the non-powered tools and equipment needed to support the work. For successful applicants, United Utilities will purchase the equipment using existing suppliers.
More details about the Bollin and Birkin Flyfishing Association can be found at https://bollinandbirkinflyfishers.uk
Photo shows member of the Bollin and Birkin Flyfishing Association with Mark Egerton from the Angling Trust and United Utilities’ Mark Sewell (Catchment Manager) and River Ranger, Joshua Fry.