Cardiff Rivers Group (CRG) is a volunteer-run environmental charity which holds events across Cardiff and South Wales at which volunteers clean up and improve watercourses: rivers, streams, ponds or the sea. This could be a general litter pick of areas surrounding a watercourse, clearance of debris from a river or pond or removal of fly-tipping. The group also undertakes habitat management across the city in conjunction with Cardiff Council urban park rangers.
| Grŵp afonydd Caerdydd | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | CRG |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 |
| Registration no. | 1191857 |
| Legal status | Charitable incorporated organisation |
| Purpose | Clean up and improve water courses. Recycling and habitat management across the city. |
| Location | |
Region served | Wales |
| Award(s) | Queen's Award for Voluntary Service |
| Website | cardiffriversgroup |
Background
editThe Group was founded in 2009 by Dave King MBE and other like-minded volunteers from Keep Wales Tidy.[1] Events take place across Cardiff typically every couple of week ranging from cleaning the banks of the Rhymney River[2] or Cardiff Bay[3] to making a hedge in Grangemoor Park[4] or trying to eradicate the invasive Himalayan Balsam.[5] Volunteers do not need to register, just turn up to an event as and when they wish. The group can expect up to 70 volunteers for any given event.[6]
CRG emphasises the social aspect of the litter picks as well as the environmental benefits. Their website states "Most importantly, our volunteers have fun!".[7] In an interview with Cardiff council on receiving his MBE, founder Dave King said "The Rivers Group is more than just a litter picking thing. You can get out, make friends, you're really making a difference. We've helped people prepare to get jobs, we're a social circle, and we're a network."[8] In 2024, Wales Online featured some of the more unusual discarded items that the group have found.[9]
In addition to grant funding,[10][11] much of what is found, especially scrap metal and nitrous oxide canisters, is recycled to fund the charity.[12][13]
In 2015 The group were partners in Cardiff Council's Environmental scrutiny committee producing the "Restore Our Rivers" report. This listed some of the group's successes and stated the group had 350 volunteers.[14]
In 2020 CRG registered as a Charitable incorporated organisation.[15][16]
Cardiff Rivers Group partnered with Nextbike while they were active in Cardiff, receiving scrap in return for reuniting abandoned bikes with the company.[17][18]
Awards
editIn the Tidy Wales awards for 2012, run by Keep Wales Tidy, the group were winners in the River Improvement category and the overall Tidy Wales winner.[19]
In 2015, CRG was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award that can be made to a voluntary group, for "Helping communities take responsibility for the cleanliness of their local watercourses".[20]
In 2023, CRG was shortlisted for the Welsh Charity Awards, run by WCVA, and a runner-up in the income generation category[21]
References
edit- ^ "Case Study:Cardiff Rivers Group- RESTORE". Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "'Largest' plastics haul in Cardiff river bank clean-up". BBC. 2 Apr 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Deacon, Thomas (24 May 2021). "The 'horrendous' amount of rubbish cleared up from Cardiff Bay in one day". Wales Online. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "new homes for wildlife in grangemoor park/". 8 March 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Tambini, Louise (20 Jul 2010). "Cardiff Rivers Group tackle Himalayan Balsam along River Ely". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Walford, Jessica (17 Jun 2019). "The volunteers who have spent a decade cleaning Cardiff's rivers". Wales Online. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "What we do". Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "King awarded MBE in Queen's Birthday Honours List". Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Elen (9 April 2024). "'Nothing shocks us anymore' - Creepy dolls, sex toys and a child's letter to her dead cat found by litter-picking group". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ Waldram, Hannah (26 Apr 2011). "Cardiff Rivers Group receive cash boost to continue Taff clean up". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "EMR makes first donations from Environment Fund". Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Keep Wales Tidy- Cardiff Rivers Group". Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Gray, Katherine (1 Jan 2024). "Thousands of huge laughing gas canisters carrying more than four tonnes of drug collected". Wales Online. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Restore Our Rivers". Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ "Governance, CARDIFF RIVERS GROUP - 1191857, Register of Charities - The Charity Commission". Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "CRG is now a CIO". Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "NextBike in Cardiff and Penarth". Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Nurse, Rachel (27 July 2021). "Spotted a stray hire bike? Here's how to report it and raise charity cash". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "We only Won....!!!!". Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "The London Gazette". Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "The Welsh Charity Awards 2023 – Winners announced". 12 October 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.