Vital work to enhance the River Welland in Harborough has received a cash boost

Vital work to enhance the River Welland in Harborough has received a cash boost from a local business.

The Welland Rivers Trust is thrilled after getting support from the Market Harborough Building Society Charitable Foundation.

The money will help provide new equipment such as nets, buckets and identification guides for volunteer 'River Wardens'.

The new kit will help the volunteers take water samples and record biodiversity in their local stretch of river.

In Harborough district, these include the River Welland, Langton Brook, Eye Brook and River Jordan.

The donation will help the Welland Rivers Trust, and its partners, to get a better understanding of the condition of the local water environment.

It will also help give volunteers new skills through structured activities that encourage participants to spend more time outside.

Harborough District Council is backing the work of the Welland Rivers Trust through the Welland Valley Partnership.

That’s a collaboration of local authorities, government organisations, private businesses and charities.

They are all working hard together to pinpoint pressures on the River Welland catchment and act to address them.

The Welland Rivers Trust is now striving to assess the effectiveness of its habitat restoration programmes and identify the best locations for future action.

Chris French, Welland Rivers Trust Project Manager, said that as a small organisation volunteers are crucial in “building capacity and awareness of water-related issues”.

"We are delighted to receive funding from Market Harborough Building Society Charitable Foundation to continue our popular River Wardens citizen science programme.

“The funding will go towards the purchase of equipment for volunteers, allowing them to discover their local water courses and collect valuable data that supports the delivery of projects that enhance the water environment,” said Chris.

“If you're interested in taking part, please get in touch with us through our website or social media."

Karen Davies, secretary of Market Harborough Building Society's Charitable Foundation, said "The Foundation supports many great organisations in the local area.

“We were delighted to help with River Wardens' Kits to support this important environmental project."