Leaders of Grantham RiverCare focus on the achievements of 2023

Human beings are strange animals. Aware of the consequences of our actions, able to understand in complex detail the workings of the Universe and yet - and yet - we continue to mess on our own doorstep. Quite literally in our experience as RiverCarers, write David Martin and Ian Simmons of Grantham Rivercare.

In fact, littering and despoilment of the environment have been endemic from when we first came down from the trees. It is ironic that our most famous ‘Son of Grantham’, Isaac Newton, didn’t formulate a ‘Law of Littering’ while he was working out how gravity works. Not too much to ask surely?

Bringing our focus back to the river and our local area, it has been a busy year for Grantham RiverCare. With over 50 volunteers, some as young as six, who have been out at least twice, we have undertaken 106 litter picks this year, including nine river group clean ups, totalling over 1,200 hours.

This number includes the efforts of individual litter heroes who have made it their mission to go above and beyond the river corridor. We have tackled local grot spots, residential streets and forgotten footpaths. A special mention to Dave Green who singlehandedly filled over 400 bags of rubbish. The man is a machine!

As a summary of all our activities this year we can proudly report that over 600 bags of rubbish have been taken off the streets, paths and river banks of Grantham. From this toll, in excess of 2,800 drink containers split roughly thus: 1,400 cans, 1,000 plastic and 400 glass.

Our particular hate has been the explosion (in some cases really) of vapes. We picked over 1,000 vape elements including packaging, batteries and refills.

Reaching out into the community as ever, we organised clean ups with the National Trust (at Londonthorpe Woods and Belton House), Grantham Angling Association Fly Fishing Section and, of course, the Coronation clean up through town.

We have continued our citizen science projects with monthly water quality testing at nine sites around town. Invasive species got a beating again to further reduce their presence on the river bank. We are now looking out for Floating Pennywort, which can swamp a river very quickly indeed. Kind donations from local groups and individuals have allowed us to purchase kick sampling kit to explore the amazing life that lives so close yet out of view. Bring on ’24!