River Hope was pleased to participate in this year’s Great Big Green Week in June. We had a lively stall at the opening event in New Place Gardens in the centre of Stratford-Upon-Avon on Saturday 7 June. Visitors enjoyed creative hands-on activities, including printmaking, making ‘wishes for water’ sails on walnut shell coracles, and a singalong of the chant “the river is flowing”.
Our stall ‘neighbour’ was the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust who displayed a fascinating selection of local river artefacts, including a 6th century beaver’s tooth pendant and a Victorian lithograph showing circus elephants in the river by Holy Trinity Church.
On the other side was a stall from the local group of the larger SafeAvon project. Over 40 local citizen scientists regularly test the water of the upper River Avon and its tributaries for chemical compounds and bacterial pollution. Read about this in our August Blog …
Our other activities during the week included: a Green Book Talk in Stratford Library; an installation by a group of photographers; a creative writing workshop exploring water in Shakespeare; and a river blessing ceremony on the River Stour.
Thanks to all who supported River Hope’s efforts during this year’s Great Big Green Week 2025.
Photos by Martin Liddament, Mary Manandhar and Frances Boyle
