New Volunteers hit the River

On a beautiful spring day, new volunteers enjoyed a morning of getting to know each other and their mentors on a BedsGOVET training day, held at Harrold Country Park for ease of access to the water.

The training, run by Trustee Henry Lafferty, was a good of mix of understanding the issues surrounding the River Great Ouse, and rivers and seas nationally and hands-on testing to understand and be able to undertake the different tests we do for nitrates, phosphates, e.coli, amongst others, on a monthly basis.

Our volunteering pool has over the past year grown and we are so pleased to welcome new blood to help with our testing programmes, as well as other activities such as fundraising and analytical data management. Without the passion of our volunteers, we would not be able to do the work we do. And certainly would not be able to expand the testing programmes that we have planned for 2026. We are now doing more sites than ever and have a new Outfall Safari testing programme to source other pollutants contaminating the River Great Ouse.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of reasons as to why they want to get involved with BedsGOVET and our testing activities. Here are some of their stories.

James Lowe, explains his compulsion to get involved:
“I am a keen fisherman and open water swimmer so the health of our waterways is very important to me. I have recently seen documentaries and written articles highlighting the poor water quality and the potential effects this could have on health, not only on people but also the wildlife that lives in and on the water.”

Quentin and Margo Butler heard about our charity in a recent newsletter from the Borough Council and said:

” We have got involved with BedsGOVET because we think that it is a massive concern for our country that river water is being badly compromised by e.coli and nitrates. This is damaging human health, wild animals fish and insects, and also damaging sea life. There must be explanations for the causes, and the damage can be stopped. The Environment Agency need hard data in order to trace the sources, and we want to do something positive to help them by gathering data.”

BedsGOVET have also been working with local fishing groups and Owen Kavanagh has been volunteering for a few months, his familiarity and knowledge of the river is proving highly valuable to our work.
He says: I am a recently retired angler, a member / committee member / water bailiff for three local angling clubs fishing the Great Ouse around Bedford, I also support Angling Trust & Environment Agency as part of the Volunteer Bailiff Service. So have seen how water quality has changed over the recent decades and wanted to help get our river back to good quality.”

Another couple who decided to join us were Rob and Julie Pearson, who are
“…keen to hold water companies to account when they deny discharges have happened and don’t take responsibility for the subsequent knock-on effects such discharges have on the ecology of the water bodies affected.”

It was Richard Pool’s love and interest in environmental science that brought both him and his wife Anne to the training session. “ .. having studied environmental science at university, the science element appealed to me as well as the issues concerning freshwater ecosystems. It looked like a good opportunity to engage with the river ecosystem through volunteering to help monitor river health and exploring data.”

Whether it is due to your hobby or ideology, being a volunteer with BedsGOVET allows you to come together with like-minded people who care about their environment and, more importantly want to do something practical about ensuring our local stretch of the River Great Ouse is made safe for all.

If you would like to get involved in any capacity, please do get in touch with us, there are many ways you can assist us with our mission to ‘Don’t Lose the Ouse’.

Contacts:
• Alan Horn, Chair: alan.horn@bedsgovet.org
• Inga Wells, Trustee, Marketing: inga.wells@bedsgovet.org
• Education: Alison.symonds@bedsgovet.org
• Volunteering: henry.lafferty@bedsgovet.org
• Link to Fb
• Link to LinkedIn Page
New Website: www.bedsgovet.org

Photo:
New Volunteers Rob and Julie Pearson right, with Owen Kavanagh kneeling on the left taking water samples for training purposes.