- Email: [email protected]
The Mersey Basin Campaign
~
Pergamon
ru"
Vol. 40. No. 10. pp. 131-136, 1999 ttl 1999 Published by ElsevIer Science Ltd on behalfofthe IAWQ War Sci
PH: S0273-1223(99)00691-5
Printed In Great Bnlain. All lights reserved 0273-1223/99 $20.00 + 0.00
THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN T. Jones Mersey Basin Trust, Sun/ey Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester Ml 4AG, UK
ABSTRACT The Mersey Basin Campaign is now at the mid-point of a 25 year government backed partnership, which brings together local authorities, busmesses, voluntary organisations and government agencies to deliver water quality improvements and waterside regeneration throughout the Mersey Basin Campaign area. WhIlst much has been achieved due to investment by North West Water, the Environment Agency. local authorities and busmesses the strength of the Campaign lies in the formation and support of active partnerships with the voluntary sector. il:> 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the IAWQ. All rights reserved
KEYWORDS Mersey Basin; partnerships; voluntary sector; water quality; waterside regeneration. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF THE RIVER MERSEY The River Mersey is the largest river in North-West England (one often British regions). Its headwaters rise in the Pennine Hills of central England. The waters then flow in a westerly direction until they reach the Irish Sea at Liverpool, a total distance of 60 km. The River Mersey itself is fonned at the heart of the town of Stockport at the confluence of the Rivers Goyt and Tame. From here the river flows West through the Southern suburbs of the city of Manchester, through the industrial town of Warrington (the tidal limit of the Mersey), past the large chemical works around Runcom and Widnes and finally on to Liverpool. The Mersey Basin covers an area of 4680 square kilometres and contains approximately 2000 km of watercourse. Over five million people live in the area. A major feature of the Mersey Basin is the Manchester Ship Canal. The Canal was completed in 1894 and enabled ocean-going vessels to travel in-land to Manchester. Today the Ship Canal is largely disused beyond the Mersey Estuary. Until the end of the 18th century, the Mersey was a clean and beautiful river. Fishing was an important industry and salmon could be caught as far up-stream as Manchester, 40 km from the sea. Then came the "Industrial Revolution" (1750-1850). Industry, such as textiles; paper manufacture, chemical production and coal-gas generation expanded rapidly throughout the Mersey Basin. Many of the new factories discharged their waste directly into the nearest river or stream. As industry grew more people moved in to find work. The meet the ever increasing demand for water for the rapidly increasing population large clean water reservoirs were constructed in upland areas beyond the boundaries of the Mersey Basin area and the water transferred, sometimes hundreds of kilometres, to cities and towns. Unfortunately there was not a parallel provision of wastewater treatment works! t31
132
T.JONES
By the mid-19th century the state of the nation's rivers was a cause of serious concern and the Mersey Basin was one of the worst areas. Parliament passed several Acts between the 1850s and 1905. This had little effect other than to remove some of the solid waste out of the rivers. Therefore, the rivers of the Mersey Basin continued to deteriorate. A turning point came with the Parliamentary acts of the 1950s, 60s and 70s which required all discharges to be authorised and enabled limits on pollution to be imposed. The statutory body currently responsible for monitoring water quality is called the Environment Agency. As a result of these Acts the quality of the rivers of the Mersey Basin steadily improved during the 1970s. ORIGIN OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN The clean-up gathered momentum in 1980 when a fifteen year programme of works costing £110 million aimed at cleaning up the Mersey Estuary was launched by the government and the water authorities. This was followed by the launch of the Mersey Basin Campaign in 1985. The Campaign is 25 year, government backed drive, estimated to cost a total of £4 billion to clean up the Mersey and all its tributaries. The Mersey Basin Campaign was a result of a desire by local communities to capitalise on the 1980 investment programme and a response to demands that more needed to be done. The size of this task was so great that it was impossible to produce a "blueprint" for action or for one body to deliver all the improvements. It had to involve as many people and organisations as possible. The Mersey Basin Campaign encourages involvement but does not demand it. This approach enables Campaign partners to gain more from their own inputs than would otherwise be possible. This "added value" is fundamental to the operation of the Mersey Basin Campaign. The Mersey Basin Campaign is able to attract resources for its partners, which may not otherwise be available, because it is: • Non-partisan and non-threatening. It does not take sides. • A forum able to bring people and organisations together. • A network able to identify opportunities. • Enabling and stimulating, encouraging and making things happen. • A credible initiative able to confer authority to its own aims and those of its partners • Trustworthy. It delivers on its promises. • Worthwhile, most people and organisations support the aims ofthe Mersey Basin Campaign. • The public face of success of the clean up of the rivers of the Mersey Basin. It is able to promote the activities of its partners independently • Able to combine the strengths of its three central organisations: The Mersey Basin Trust; Mersey Basin Business Foundation and Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Ltd All these areas have taken time and energy to develop. During the next decade we will start to see the real benefits that have be achieved. MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN AIMS The aims of the Mersey Basin Campaign are: • to improve water quality so that all rivers, streams and canals are clean enough to support fish • to stimulate the development of attractive waterside environments--for businesses, housing, tourism, heritage, recreation and wildlife • to encourage people to value and cherish their watercourses and waterfront environments Improvements in water quality lie at the heart of the Mersey Basin Campaign. Clean water helps to stimulate waterside investment and encourages people to care for their local water environment. THE PARTNERSHIP BASE OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN Until the Mersey Basin Campaign embarked on its massive task many people accepted polluted rivers and urban dccay as the inevitable legacy of the "Industrial Revolution". During the 1970s and 1980s attitudes
The Mersey Basm Campaign
133
changed rapidly as the public began to raise its expectations about environmental conditions. The Mersey Basin Campaign was able to capitalise on this change in attitude. In order to be successful the Campaign had to establish constructive partnerships between a whole range of organisations. It was recognised that big, bureaucratic, approaches did not work (indeed money for this method was not available) and that local communities had to be involved in the design, implementation and management of schemes. These concerns moved environmental action away from confrontational approaches adopted in the I960s and 1970s. It is the ability of the Mersey Basin Campaign to capitalise on its partners' strengths and abilities that underlies its success. All partnerships are based on trust and understanding. Trust is essential ifpartners are to be open and honest in their dealings with each other.
The Campaign has helped to break-down common misconceptions which prevented effective partnership working. Previously: • the public sector was seen as bureaucratic, slow moving, unimaginative and overstaffed. • the voluntary sector was seen as reactionary, unprofessional and unimportant. • the private sector was seen as large, money orientated and uncaring. None of these views was helpful in bringing people and organisations together. Each sector had strengths which together would be more that the sum of their parts. Each has weaknesses which the other partners could help overcome in ajoint initiative. The building of trust takes time. To build this it is essential to: • be non-judgmental • be understanding • give credit where it is due • not be over ambitious at first • spend time leaming about each other • have commitment from everyone to the partnership • be patient THE OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN There are three organisations at the "centre" of the Mersey Basin Campaign. All are independent but work very closely together. Each has responsibility for key aspects of the Mersey Basin Campaign and for maintaining and developing relationships with a particular sector. They are: • Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Limited (established 1985). Responsible for liaison with the public sector (local authorities, Government Office for the North West, Environment Agency). Also responsible for the overall management, promotion and marketing of the Mersey Basin Campaign. • Mersey Basin Trust (established 1987). Responsible for liaison with the voluntary and community sectors (wildlife, angling, recreational, heritage, canal and civic interests) and schools. Responsible for the operation of Mersey Basin Campaign projects, such as grant schemes, community support (through Stream Care), work with schools. • Mersey Basin Business Foundation (established 1992). Responsible for liaison with industry and business (private sector companies). It develops business projects associated with encouraging business involvement in the Mersey Basin Campaign and helps companies to improve their environmental performance. The three organisations are all equal in status. All employ Executive Directors with other staff as appropriate. The responsibility of each Executive Director is to represent the Mersey Basin Campaign at senior level in each of their respective sectors. Each is also responsible for the financial and staff management of the organisation. Each is responsible to an elected/appointed board who are also ultimately accountable for their organisation. The Secretary of State for the Environment, a senior member of the Government, appoints a Chairman of the Mersey Basin Campaign every three years. The Chairman is the public figurehead of the Mersey Basin
T.JONES
134
Campaign and is responsible for senior level contacts within the public and private sectors. The Chainnan chairs a monthly Mersey Basin Campaign Board meeting where the "central" organisations come together to discuss progress and plan strategy. Every three years a large conference is held to bring together all partners to celebrate the successes of the last three years and plan for the next three years. ORGANISATIONS AT THE 'CENTRE' The Merser Basin Campaign Administration Limited This organisation was established in 1985 and provides a direct link to the government. Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Ltd. manages the Campaign's operational structure, organises events such as conferences and provides start-up funding for related activities such as research etc. It has an annual budget of £300,000 and three members of staff, with regular additional support from a student. It also pays the salary of the Mersey Basin Campaign Chainnan. The Merser Basin Business Foundation Established in 1992 following a Mersey Basin Trust proposal to establish a 'Friends of the Mersey Basin Campaign'. Its role is to attract business support to provide finance and expertise (technical and management) for the Mersey Basin Campaign. It encourages businesses to improve their environmental perfonnance. Businesses commit themselves to the Foundation for three years, at a minimum level of £30,000 over that period. Some provide more, such as Shell UK Ltd., who provided a senior manager to act as Executive Director for the Mersey Basin Business Foundation from 1992-98. The Mersey Basin Trust is the principal recipient of the private sector support of about £200,000. Companies support the Mersey Basin Campaign for a variety of reasons: • It provides a means by which they can be associated with good environmental and community practice. • It provides access to a pool of expertise and knowledge about environmental issues • It provides an avenue to promote the environmental and economic benefits ofthe region. • Financial contributions can be offset against tax liabilities in the UK. • Appropriate company activities can be promoted by the Mersey Basin Campaign who provide an independent, and sometimes more credible, view giving more profile to a particular initiative. Within the United Kingdom generally, the climate of opinion among the public has demanded that companies become more environmental aware and responsible. The Mersey Basin Campaign reflects this. The Merser Basin Trust Established in 1987. It is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. This "dual status" is common amongst small environmental organisations in the UK. The Trust is a network of organisations operating within the voluntary and community sectors. Membership ofthe Trust is free and is made up of: • wildlife and landscape groups • recreational organisations • community groups • heritage groups and civic societies • schools To date, Trust membership stands at approximately 600 organisations. All of the member organisations commit themselves to supporting the Campaign aims and participate actively in the drive to clean up the River Mersey. The Trust is managed by a 24-strong Board of Trustees elected by the membership organisations. The Board ensures that the Trust fulfils its two core objectives: I. To encourage, support and develop voluntary and community activity in support of the Mersey Basin Campaign aims.
The Mersey Basin campaign
I3S
2. To represent the interests of the voluntary sector within the overall Campaign partnership. The Board appoints staff in order to implement these aims. At present the Trust has five full-time members of staff and two part-time members. Volunteers, students and members of staff on short-term contracts are appointed in order to carry out specific projects. The Trust has an annual turn-over of approximately £600,000 of which approximately £100,000 covers management and administration costs with the remainder used to support the work of the member organisations. The Trust's core running costs are supported by a government grant of £70,000 per annum. The remainder of the Trust's income arises from other public sector contributions, private sector support and from the sale of publications. The Trust uses this income to support voluntary sector environmental action in the Mersey Basin Campaign through a series of sponsored initiatives: Stream Care Funding from the Environment Agency and North West Water (total budget: £35,000 pal enables the Trust to employ a Community Project Officer whose main responsibility is to co-ordinate Stream Care. Stream Care supports local action to clean-up and care for the streams and rivers of the Mersey Basin. Community organisations are encouraged to "adopt" a local watercourse and take part in its improvement and long-term up-keep. Projects supported by Stream Care include: • removing litter from streams • planting trees and wildflowers at the water's edge • constructing footpaths • designing leaflets and signs Water Detectives Water Detectives enables the Trust to work with schools. It is co-ordinated by the Trust's Education Officer (a part time post). The project is supported by money from the private sector, (Shell UK Ltd.) and two charitable Trusts (Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust and the Ernest Cook Trust) as well as the Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Ltd (total budget £30,000 pal. The project encourages schools to use their local watercourse as a resource for study. An education pack has been produced which guides teachers through the process of studying a river or a stream. Every year over 200 schools contact the Trust for advice. Approximately 60 of these go on to conduct a stream survey. Grant Schemes Since its inception the Trust has operated a number of grant schemes which support the activities of the member organisations. The grant schemes have been supported by a range of private sector companies. During the 1997/8 financial year a total of almost £140,000 was distributed in grant aid. The projects supported included: • the construction of fishing facilities • habitat creation • access works such as footpath creation and tow path improvements • Assistance for River Valley Initiatives (see below) An example of the grant schemes is the Green Action Grant. This is sponsored by ICI Chemicals and Polymers and supports environmental work by young people. Over a six-year period (1994-2000) approximately] 00 grants will be provided at a total cost of£60,000.
136
T.JONES
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN Improvements in river water quality • • •
• •
The percentage of river length able to support fish life has risen from 56% (1985) to 68% (1996); more than 35 species of fish are now recorded from the Mersey Estuary. Since 1989 North West Water has spent over £700 Million on more than 800 projects to improve wastewater treatment facilities in the Mersey Basin. By the year 2010 - the completion date for the Mersey Basin Campaign - the water quality investment programme is expected to total £2.5 billion. One of the largest projects undertaken by NWW was the construction of a 21 km long interceptor sewer which takes wastewater, previously discharged directly and untreated from 28 former outfalls into the Mersey Estuary, to a new treatment works at Sandon Dock in Liverpool. The total cost of this investment was £300 million. The input of heavy metals into the estuary has declined significantly. In the mid-1970's total input was around 60 tonnes pa-now reduced to around one tonne pa. Kingfisher and Dragonfly Survey-ln 1995 the Mersey Basin Campaign run a public awareness wildlife survey. There were 704 sightings of kingfishers and 3,990 of dragonflies/damselflies provided by members of the public between May and September. This survey is being repeated in 1998 so that a comparison with data from 1995 can be made to highlighted areas which have improved/declined.
Waterside regeneration • •
•
The work of Local Authorities and development corporations has led to a significant improvement of the waterside environment throughout the Mersey Basin. Between 1985 and 1994 over 30km of waterside were improved, 26km were opened to the public and access was improved to a further 40km. Canal societies have been very active within the Campaign. Improvements to the Huddersfield Canal alone total £11 million. Work has included repairs to 7 0'£ the 16 bridges, the development of a canal• side cycleway and the renovation of old buildings. This work has been carried out by a partnership comprising The Huddersfield Canal Society (voluntary), four local authorities and British Waterways (a government agency). The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has supported infrastuctural regeneration and economic development projects in the Mersey Basin Campaign area with over £500 million since 1985.
Partnerships •
The strength of the Mersey Basin Campaign is its ability to form active partnerships. In 1993 the Campaign launched a new approach: River Valley Initiatives. A River Valley Initiative is a locally based partnership which aims to concentrate the aims of the Campaign on to a particular river. To date seven RVls have been launched and more are planned. Over £1.5 mi1lion has been invested through River Valley Initiatives to date, most of it concerned with supporting local community and environmental improvements.
Community participation • •
During October of every year the Campaign organises the Mersey Basin Weekend. Groups throughout the Mersey Basin hold events in connection with their local watercourse. During the 1997 Weekend over 120 events took place which involved over 2000 volunteers. The Campaign acknowledges exceptional contributions through its Kingfisher Awards. These awards are presented annually and involve a cash prize of £500 supplied by the chemical company, Unilever. To date 30 individuals and organisation have received awards for a range of environmental work-often part of a long-standing commitment to the Mersey Basin Campaign.
Pergamon
ru"
Vol. 40. No. 10. pp. 131-136, 1999 ttl 1999 Published by ElsevIer Science Ltd on behalfofthe IAWQ War Sci
PH: S0273-1223(99)00691-5
Printed In Great Bnlain. All lights reserved 0273-1223/99 $20.00 + 0.00
THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN T. Jones Mersey Basin Trust, Sun/ey Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester Ml 4AG, UK
ABSTRACT The Mersey Basin Campaign is now at the mid-point of a 25 year government backed partnership, which brings together local authorities, busmesses, voluntary organisations and government agencies to deliver water quality improvements and waterside regeneration throughout the Mersey Basin Campaign area. WhIlst much has been achieved due to investment by North West Water, the Environment Agency. local authorities and busmesses the strength of the Campaign lies in the formation and support of active partnerships with the voluntary sector. il:> 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the IAWQ. All rights reserved
KEYWORDS Mersey Basin; partnerships; voluntary sector; water quality; waterside regeneration. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF THE RIVER MERSEY The River Mersey is the largest river in North-West England (one often British regions). Its headwaters rise in the Pennine Hills of central England. The waters then flow in a westerly direction until they reach the Irish Sea at Liverpool, a total distance of 60 km. The River Mersey itself is fonned at the heart of the town of Stockport at the confluence of the Rivers Goyt and Tame. From here the river flows West through the Southern suburbs of the city of Manchester, through the industrial town of Warrington (the tidal limit of the Mersey), past the large chemical works around Runcom and Widnes and finally on to Liverpool. The Mersey Basin covers an area of 4680 square kilometres and contains approximately 2000 km of watercourse. Over five million people live in the area. A major feature of the Mersey Basin is the Manchester Ship Canal. The Canal was completed in 1894 and enabled ocean-going vessels to travel in-land to Manchester. Today the Ship Canal is largely disused beyond the Mersey Estuary. Until the end of the 18th century, the Mersey was a clean and beautiful river. Fishing was an important industry and salmon could be caught as far up-stream as Manchester, 40 km from the sea. Then came the "Industrial Revolution" (1750-1850). Industry, such as textiles; paper manufacture, chemical production and coal-gas generation expanded rapidly throughout the Mersey Basin. Many of the new factories discharged their waste directly into the nearest river or stream. As industry grew more people moved in to find work. The meet the ever increasing demand for water for the rapidly increasing population large clean water reservoirs were constructed in upland areas beyond the boundaries of the Mersey Basin area and the water transferred, sometimes hundreds of kilometres, to cities and towns. Unfortunately there was not a parallel provision of wastewater treatment works! t31
132
T.JONES
By the mid-19th century the state of the nation's rivers was a cause of serious concern and the Mersey Basin was one of the worst areas. Parliament passed several Acts between the 1850s and 1905. This had little effect other than to remove some of the solid waste out of the rivers. Therefore, the rivers of the Mersey Basin continued to deteriorate. A turning point came with the Parliamentary acts of the 1950s, 60s and 70s which required all discharges to be authorised and enabled limits on pollution to be imposed. The statutory body currently responsible for monitoring water quality is called the Environment Agency. As a result of these Acts the quality of the rivers of the Mersey Basin steadily improved during the 1970s. ORIGIN OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN The clean-up gathered momentum in 1980 when a fifteen year programme of works costing £110 million aimed at cleaning up the Mersey Estuary was launched by the government and the water authorities. This was followed by the launch of the Mersey Basin Campaign in 1985. The Campaign is 25 year, government backed drive, estimated to cost a total of £4 billion to clean up the Mersey and all its tributaries. The Mersey Basin Campaign was a result of a desire by local communities to capitalise on the 1980 investment programme and a response to demands that more needed to be done. The size of this task was so great that it was impossible to produce a "blueprint" for action or for one body to deliver all the improvements. It had to involve as many people and organisations as possible. The Mersey Basin Campaign encourages involvement but does not demand it. This approach enables Campaign partners to gain more from their own inputs than would otherwise be possible. This "added value" is fundamental to the operation of the Mersey Basin Campaign. The Mersey Basin Campaign is able to attract resources for its partners, which may not otherwise be available, because it is: • Non-partisan and non-threatening. It does not take sides. • A forum able to bring people and organisations together. • A network able to identify opportunities. • Enabling and stimulating, encouraging and making things happen. • A credible initiative able to confer authority to its own aims and those of its partners • Trustworthy. It delivers on its promises. • Worthwhile, most people and organisations support the aims ofthe Mersey Basin Campaign. • The public face of success of the clean up of the rivers of the Mersey Basin. It is able to promote the activities of its partners independently • Able to combine the strengths of its three central organisations: The Mersey Basin Trust; Mersey Basin Business Foundation and Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Ltd All these areas have taken time and energy to develop. During the next decade we will start to see the real benefits that have be achieved. MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN AIMS The aims of the Mersey Basin Campaign are: • to improve water quality so that all rivers, streams and canals are clean enough to support fish • to stimulate the development of attractive waterside environments--for businesses, housing, tourism, heritage, recreation and wildlife • to encourage people to value and cherish their watercourses and waterfront environments Improvements in water quality lie at the heart of the Mersey Basin Campaign. Clean water helps to stimulate waterside investment and encourages people to care for their local water environment. THE PARTNERSHIP BASE OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN Until the Mersey Basin Campaign embarked on its massive task many people accepted polluted rivers and urban dccay as the inevitable legacy of the "Industrial Revolution". During the 1970s and 1980s attitudes
The Mersey Basm Campaign
133
changed rapidly as the public began to raise its expectations about environmental conditions. The Mersey Basin Campaign was able to capitalise on this change in attitude. In order to be successful the Campaign had to establish constructive partnerships between a whole range of organisations. It was recognised that big, bureaucratic, approaches did not work (indeed money for this method was not available) and that local communities had to be involved in the design, implementation and management of schemes. These concerns moved environmental action away from confrontational approaches adopted in the I960s and 1970s. It is the ability of the Mersey Basin Campaign to capitalise on its partners' strengths and abilities that underlies its success. All partnerships are based on trust and understanding. Trust is essential ifpartners are to be open and honest in their dealings with each other.
The Campaign has helped to break-down common misconceptions which prevented effective partnership working. Previously: • the public sector was seen as bureaucratic, slow moving, unimaginative and overstaffed. • the voluntary sector was seen as reactionary, unprofessional and unimportant. • the private sector was seen as large, money orientated and uncaring. None of these views was helpful in bringing people and organisations together. Each sector had strengths which together would be more that the sum of their parts. Each has weaknesses which the other partners could help overcome in ajoint initiative. The building of trust takes time. To build this it is essential to: • be non-judgmental • be understanding • give credit where it is due • not be over ambitious at first • spend time leaming about each other • have commitment from everyone to the partnership • be patient THE OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN There are three organisations at the "centre" of the Mersey Basin Campaign. All are independent but work very closely together. Each has responsibility for key aspects of the Mersey Basin Campaign and for maintaining and developing relationships with a particular sector. They are: • Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Limited (established 1985). Responsible for liaison with the public sector (local authorities, Government Office for the North West, Environment Agency). Also responsible for the overall management, promotion and marketing of the Mersey Basin Campaign. • Mersey Basin Trust (established 1987). Responsible for liaison with the voluntary and community sectors (wildlife, angling, recreational, heritage, canal and civic interests) and schools. Responsible for the operation of Mersey Basin Campaign projects, such as grant schemes, community support (through Stream Care), work with schools. • Mersey Basin Business Foundation (established 1992). Responsible for liaison with industry and business (private sector companies). It develops business projects associated with encouraging business involvement in the Mersey Basin Campaign and helps companies to improve their environmental performance. The three organisations are all equal in status. All employ Executive Directors with other staff as appropriate. The responsibility of each Executive Director is to represent the Mersey Basin Campaign at senior level in each of their respective sectors. Each is also responsible for the financial and staff management of the organisation. Each is responsible to an elected/appointed board who are also ultimately accountable for their organisation. The Secretary of State for the Environment, a senior member of the Government, appoints a Chairman of the Mersey Basin Campaign every three years. The Chairman is the public figurehead of the Mersey Basin
T.JONES
134
Campaign and is responsible for senior level contacts within the public and private sectors. The Chainnan chairs a monthly Mersey Basin Campaign Board meeting where the "central" organisations come together to discuss progress and plan strategy. Every three years a large conference is held to bring together all partners to celebrate the successes of the last three years and plan for the next three years. ORGANISATIONS AT THE 'CENTRE' The Merser Basin Campaign Administration Limited This organisation was established in 1985 and provides a direct link to the government. Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Ltd. manages the Campaign's operational structure, organises events such as conferences and provides start-up funding for related activities such as research etc. It has an annual budget of £300,000 and three members of staff, with regular additional support from a student. It also pays the salary of the Mersey Basin Campaign Chainnan. The Merser Basin Business Foundation Established in 1992 following a Mersey Basin Trust proposal to establish a 'Friends of the Mersey Basin Campaign'. Its role is to attract business support to provide finance and expertise (technical and management) for the Mersey Basin Campaign. It encourages businesses to improve their environmental perfonnance. Businesses commit themselves to the Foundation for three years, at a minimum level of £30,000 over that period. Some provide more, such as Shell UK Ltd., who provided a senior manager to act as Executive Director for the Mersey Basin Business Foundation from 1992-98. The Mersey Basin Trust is the principal recipient of the private sector support of about £200,000. Companies support the Mersey Basin Campaign for a variety of reasons: • It provides a means by which they can be associated with good environmental and community practice. • It provides access to a pool of expertise and knowledge about environmental issues • It provides an avenue to promote the environmental and economic benefits ofthe region. • Financial contributions can be offset against tax liabilities in the UK. • Appropriate company activities can be promoted by the Mersey Basin Campaign who provide an independent, and sometimes more credible, view giving more profile to a particular initiative. Within the United Kingdom generally, the climate of opinion among the public has demanded that companies become more environmental aware and responsible. The Mersey Basin Campaign reflects this. The Merser Basin Trust Established in 1987. It is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. This "dual status" is common amongst small environmental organisations in the UK. The Trust is a network of organisations operating within the voluntary and community sectors. Membership ofthe Trust is free and is made up of: • wildlife and landscape groups • recreational organisations • community groups • heritage groups and civic societies • schools To date, Trust membership stands at approximately 600 organisations. All of the member organisations commit themselves to supporting the Campaign aims and participate actively in the drive to clean up the River Mersey. The Trust is managed by a 24-strong Board of Trustees elected by the membership organisations. The Board ensures that the Trust fulfils its two core objectives: I. To encourage, support and develop voluntary and community activity in support of the Mersey Basin Campaign aims.
The Mersey Basin campaign
I3S
2. To represent the interests of the voluntary sector within the overall Campaign partnership. The Board appoints staff in order to implement these aims. At present the Trust has five full-time members of staff and two part-time members. Volunteers, students and members of staff on short-term contracts are appointed in order to carry out specific projects. The Trust has an annual turn-over of approximately £600,000 of which approximately £100,000 covers management and administration costs with the remainder used to support the work of the member organisations. The Trust's core running costs are supported by a government grant of £70,000 per annum. The remainder of the Trust's income arises from other public sector contributions, private sector support and from the sale of publications. The Trust uses this income to support voluntary sector environmental action in the Mersey Basin Campaign through a series of sponsored initiatives: Stream Care Funding from the Environment Agency and North West Water (total budget: £35,000 pal enables the Trust to employ a Community Project Officer whose main responsibility is to co-ordinate Stream Care. Stream Care supports local action to clean-up and care for the streams and rivers of the Mersey Basin. Community organisations are encouraged to "adopt" a local watercourse and take part in its improvement and long-term up-keep. Projects supported by Stream Care include: • removing litter from streams • planting trees and wildflowers at the water's edge • constructing footpaths • designing leaflets and signs Water Detectives Water Detectives enables the Trust to work with schools. It is co-ordinated by the Trust's Education Officer (a part time post). The project is supported by money from the private sector, (Shell UK Ltd.) and two charitable Trusts (Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust and the Ernest Cook Trust) as well as the Mersey Basin Campaign Administration Ltd (total budget £30,000 pal. The project encourages schools to use their local watercourse as a resource for study. An education pack has been produced which guides teachers through the process of studying a river or a stream. Every year over 200 schools contact the Trust for advice. Approximately 60 of these go on to conduct a stream survey. Grant Schemes Since its inception the Trust has operated a number of grant schemes which support the activities of the member organisations. The grant schemes have been supported by a range of private sector companies. During the 1997/8 financial year a total of almost £140,000 was distributed in grant aid. The projects supported included: • the construction of fishing facilities • habitat creation • access works such as footpath creation and tow path improvements • Assistance for River Valley Initiatives (see below) An example of the grant schemes is the Green Action Grant. This is sponsored by ICI Chemicals and Polymers and supports environmental work by young people. Over a six-year period (1994-2000) approximately] 00 grants will be provided at a total cost of£60,000.
136
T.JONES
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN Improvements in river water quality • • •
• •
The percentage of river length able to support fish life has risen from 56% (1985) to 68% (1996); more than 35 species of fish are now recorded from the Mersey Estuary. Since 1989 North West Water has spent over £700 Million on more than 800 projects to improve wastewater treatment facilities in the Mersey Basin. By the year 2010 - the completion date for the Mersey Basin Campaign - the water quality investment programme is expected to total £2.5 billion. One of the largest projects undertaken by NWW was the construction of a 21 km long interceptor sewer which takes wastewater, previously discharged directly and untreated from 28 former outfalls into the Mersey Estuary, to a new treatment works at Sandon Dock in Liverpool. The total cost of this investment was £300 million. The input of heavy metals into the estuary has declined significantly. In the mid-1970's total input was around 60 tonnes pa-now reduced to around one tonne pa. Kingfisher and Dragonfly Survey-ln 1995 the Mersey Basin Campaign run a public awareness wildlife survey. There were 704 sightings of kingfishers and 3,990 of dragonflies/damselflies provided by members of the public between May and September. This survey is being repeated in 1998 so that a comparison with data from 1995 can be made to highlighted areas which have improved/declined.
Waterside regeneration • •
•
The work of Local Authorities and development corporations has led to a significant improvement of the waterside environment throughout the Mersey Basin. Between 1985 and 1994 over 30km of waterside were improved, 26km were opened to the public and access was improved to a further 40km. Canal societies have been very active within the Campaign. Improvements to the Huddersfield Canal alone total £11 million. Work has included repairs to 7 0'£ the 16 bridges, the development of a canal• side cycleway and the renovation of old buildings. This work has been carried out by a partnership comprising The Huddersfield Canal Society (voluntary), four local authorities and British Waterways (a government agency). The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has supported infrastuctural regeneration and economic development projects in the Mersey Basin Campaign area with over £500 million since 1985.
Partnerships •
The strength of the Mersey Basin Campaign is its ability to form active partnerships. In 1993 the Campaign launched a new approach: River Valley Initiatives. A River Valley Initiative is a locally based partnership which aims to concentrate the aims of the Campaign on to a particular river. To date seven RVls have been launched and more are planned. Over £1.5 mi1lion has been invested through River Valley Initiatives to date, most of it concerned with supporting local community and environmental improvements.
Community participation • •
During October of every year the Campaign organises the Mersey Basin Weekend. Groups throughout the Mersey Basin hold events in connection with their local watercourse. During the 1997 Weekend over 120 events took place which involved over 2000 volunteers. The Campaign acknowledges exceptional contributions through its Kingfisher Awards. These awards are presented annually and involve a cash prize of £500 supplied by the chemical company, Unilever. To date 30 individuals and organisation have received awards for a range of environmental work-often part of a long-standing commitment to the Mersey Basin Campaign.