Warwickshire Avon River Health Forum: Saturday 24 October 2026 opening at 12.30pm

How healthy is our river – and what can we do together to protect and improve it? Hear from Cyril Bennis BEM, speaking at SuABC, with thanks to Janie Dee and credit to Charlie Budd for this short film.

Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club (SuABC) is delighted to announce it has received a grant from British Rowing’s Thriving Waters Scheme to expand its water-quality testing and build a better understanding of this stretch of the Warwickshire Avon.

To make the most of this opportunity, we are convening a Warwickshire Avon River Health Forum: bringing together local partners to share knowledge, explore the challenges facing the river, and help shape how we use our grant to make a difference.

It is our privilege to host Mark Barrow, Beneath British Waters, a first hand witness to the changing health of Britain’s rivers through his 35 years of underwater filmmaking experience. Mark will present “Beneath the Oars“, a short film commissioned by the River Summit & Festival, which took place in Henley on Thames this September.

We will:

• hear the voice of the river, through Mary Manandhar, convenor of River Hope and The Gathering: for water and Nature.
• be informed by: James Chapman, UK Business Development Manager – Environmental Solutions, Xylem Water Solutions; Caroline Roper, Rugby & Birmingham River Champions, University of Birmingham; and Colin Maltby, River Insight and Improvement Manager, Severn Trent.
• understand the role of the  Warwickshire Catchment Based Approach Partnership and how we can effectively contribute to its work.

Following an update from SafeAvon, a panel will discuss how water sports clubs can contribute effectively to protecting and improving local river health.

We are delighted to welcome our Member of Parliament, Manuela Perteghella, alongside river groups, clubs, community organisations, businesses and public bodies from across the catchment.

Speaker profiles, information sheets and presentations available here – and will be updated with details as we receive them.  We encourage members, athletes, and water users who are impacted by poor water quality and pollution to come together locally for clean water. More about the Clean Water Sports Alliance.

Programme

• 12:30 – Arrival
• 13:00 – Welcome from SuABC
• 13:10 – Mary Manandhar, convenor of River Hope
• 13:15 – Mark Barrow, Beneath British Waters, underwater film-maker
• 14:00 – “What’s happening upstream?” Briefings from: Xylem, Rugby & Birmingham River Champions, Severn Trent, followed by Q&A
• 15:00 – Comfort break
• 15:15 –  “What will make the boat go faster?” Update from local citizen science group, SafeAvon. Chaired by SuABC. Provisional line-up: River Hope, SafeAvon, Severn Trent, Rugby & Birmingham River Champions, Xylem.
• 16:00 – Final remarks, followed by networking, refreshments (cake) and short films
• 17:00 – Closing doors at 17:30.

One river. Many friends. A shared opportunity to make a difference.

The Warwickshire Avon supports wildlife, biodiversity, recreation and our communities. Understanding its health is the first step towards protecting and restoring it.

Following River Hope’s The Gathering: for Water and Nature in March to mark International Day of Action for Rivers, this is further opportunity to connect people working for healthier rivers and turn shared knowledge into practical action.

SuABC has been active in this space – see our Environmental Sustainability journey and recent community river health morning. Other water sports leading the way on water quality monitoring include: Fulham Reach BC, Ross on Wye, with many more partnerships such as Windsor River Watch and Christchurch Harbour emerging.

We’ve invited organisations from across the catchment. If we’ve missed someone who should be part of the conversation, please email sustainablesuabc@gmail.com.

See below for the full list of invited organisations – Confirmed in bold.