Looking back on 2025...
Before we wade to deeply into 2026, we’re taking a moment to look back at everything achieved in 2025. It was a year shaped. Thanks to the support of volunteers, supporters, schools and partners, 2025 delivered real, measurable impact on the ground.
Growing our community of supporters
Over the past year, our community continued to grow. We welcomed more than 1,000 new followers, bringing our total to 4,838 people supporting our work across social media. The number of subscribers to our e-newsletter also doubled, helping us share stories from our rivers with more people than ever before.
Our work also reached wider audiences through coverage in the national media and several local newspapers, highlighting the challenges facing our rivers and the importance of restoring and protecting them.
Inspiring the next generation through education
Education remained a core part of our work in 2025. Throughout the year we reached over 5,000 children and 850 accompanying adults through 324 education sessions delivered to schools, youth groups and home-educating families.
Sessions took place in 39 locations, across 20 different rivers and streams, giving young people hands-on experiences in nature and helping them learn about wildlife, rivers and water safety.
Feedback from teachers reflected just how valuable these experiences were:
“The children enjoyed a fantastic outdoor learning experience… their enthusiasm and curiosity were wonderful to see.”
“It has been incredible and offered the children something they’ve never done before.”
“The children were engaged throughout due to it being interactive and learnt a lot about wildlife and water safety.”
Volunteers at the heart of our work
Volunteers continue to be the backbone of everything we do. In 2025:
- 286 volunteer hours supported education activities and events
- We attended 8 community events, engaging with 1,700 adults and children
- 330 volunteer hours were dedicated to controlling invasive non-native species
- 466 volunteer hours supported the Watercress and Winterbournes Project
Altogether, this represents 796 volunteer hours, or the equivalent of 109 volunteer days, spent caring for rivers and chalk streams.
Tackling invasive non-native species
Controlling invasive non-native species (INNS) remained a major focus throughout the year. Our teams worked across 15 sites, managing 11.89km of riverbank and surveying 32.65km in total.
In the process, 773 tubs of invasive plant material were removed — equating to more than 30,900 litres — helping to protect native habitats and improve river health.
Restoring rivers and wetlands
River restoration continued at pace in 2025. Over the year we completed:
- 12 river restoration projects
- 2 wetland projects
- 4.13km of river restored
We also used 30 tonnes of flint to create vital habitat for white-clawed crayfish, and surveyed 61km of river habitat to guide future restoration work.
Monitoring wildlife and river health
Surveys carried out during the year recorded encouraging signs of wildlife, including 114 otter signs and 247 water vole signs, helping us build a clearer picture of species presence and habitat condition across our catchments.
As we move further into 2026, we’re excited to build on the momentum of the past year. Huge thanks to everyone who supported our work in 2025!
