Major funding boost for River Roding revitalisation project

Environmental charity Thames21 has secured funding of more than £1.4 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to launch a collaborative project called ‘The Roding Rises’ that will kickstart the revitalisation of the River Roding – London’s third longest river.

The project will monitor and improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitats and encourage more people to use and enjoy the river and its tributaries, which has its source in rural Essex and flows through East London before joining the River Thames at Barking Creek.

Historic modification of the river channel, together with pollution from sewage, agriculture, industry, and roads have all had a significant impact on the wildlife of the River Roding and people’s enjoyment of the river.

Plans for the project include a programme of activities and an associated grant scheme to encourage local communities from rural Essex to urban East London to access, enjoy and restore the river. Volunteers will also be trained to become citizen scientists to help to collect vital data to drive change for the River Roding using innovative monitoring techniques.

A masterplan for the lower Roding will be co-developed with local communities to positively influence future development around the river, whilst plans to support the return of brown trout to the river are also afoot through a major river restoration project. The river will benefit from this initiative as it has suffered from decades of neglect that has led to a decline in its health and the diversity of wildlife it supports.

Chris Coode, CEO at Thames21, said: “We’re delighted to be working with organisations and communities across Essex and East London to improve the health of the River Roding. This project will bring diverse communities together and help connect them to this fantastic river which has a rich history and acts as an important space for wildlife.

“Thanks to the support of National Lottery players we’re excited to inspire local communities to learn more about their local river and foster a sense of long-term environmental stewardship. We believe this project will act as a catalyst to drive more funding into the River Roding corridor, allowing more people to access, enjoy and understand their local river. By working with key partners and local communities we will scale up our work to improve the river’s health, whilst unlocking social and cultural opportunities along the River Roding.”

The project will be delivered through working with key partners from the Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne catchment partnership including the London boroughs of Redbridge, Newham and Barking & Dagenham, the Environment Agency, the River Roding Trust and the Roding Farm Cluster.

Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We’re proud to support Thames21’s ambitious plans to restore and celebrate the River Roding. This project will not only improve the river’s health and biodiversity but also reconnect communities with a vital part of their local heritage. Thanks to National Lottery players, ‘The Roding Rises’ will empower people across Essex and East London to shape the future of their river, creating lasting benefits for both nature and communities.”

The project announcement comes a week after The National Lottery Heritage Fund announced that Barking and Dagenham is the first London borough to be named as a Heritage Place. This means long-term, strategic investment to boost pride in place and connection to heritage across the whole of the borough.

Picture copyright – ©Andrew Brown