Bradshaw brook community fund

A group of volunteers in Bolton have started work to clear destructive species of plants along Bradshaw Brook thanks to new equipment from United Utilities. 

Bradshaw Brook Fly Fishing Group was presented with equipment from United Utilities through its Better Rivers Better North West community fund. 

They received stem injectors to help tackle Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed, which can threaten native plants and biodiversity on riverbanks.

The group, which has 40 volunteers, noticed the invasive species while fishing and started a project two years ago to eradicate the plants in Bradshaw Brook and the wider River Irwell catchment.

Volunteer John Frazer said: “Stem injection is an effective treatment to stop invasive plants from spreading. We want to trial this along Bradshaw Brook and look to use this method across the catchment.

“Thanks to the Better Rivers Better North West community fund we can continue our work on both the Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed all the way across the brook.”

He added: “I would encourage other community groups who want to help improve their local river environment to get in touch with United Utilities as we found the process simple and the wider environment in Bradshaw will see immediate benefits from this project.”

Shelina Begum, Area Engagement Lead for Greater Manchester at United Utilities, said: “This is a great example of how the fund can help local community groups to make a real difference to their environment.

“Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed are a real threat to the riverbank and it’s great to see how the volunteers from Bradshaw Brook Fly Fishing Group are tackling this issue.”

The community fund was established in November last year and is one of the original commitments of United Utilities’ 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.