The River Ely is one of the great little rivers of South Wales. Every day, probably without realising it, hundreds of thousands of us pass over or past this neglected little river completely unaware of the mounting problem it faces. Instead of the thriving river it once was, Natural Resources Wales now rates its water quality as 'poor'; fish stocks and general biodiversity have declined; litter and fly tipping is on the increase; river blockages are widespread and numerous invasive species are on the rise. This needs to change, and the river restored to it's former glory as a happy health habitat for people to enjoy and wildlife to thrive in. And with your help we can do it! We need donations and volunteer support to carry out a comprehensive survey; to buy equipment to help clean the river; to pull together a small army of volunteers to carry out projects and deliver the improvements that will breathe fresh life back into the river and the local communities around it.

What we'll deliver:

• Survey the entire river to assess the challenges
• Encourage communities to re-engage with the Ely river
• Carry out projects with a wide range of communty groups and organisations to make the Ely river great again
• Improve biodiversity, water quality and the local environment for the benefit of both people and widlife

Why it's a great idea:

Put simply, it's a great idea because it aims to reconnect people with the river Ely and deliver very real improvements across the whole river system. We aim to remove large amounts of litter and fly tipping; significantly reduce pollution sources on the river; identify / address river blockages and reduce the number of invasive species in the water and along the banks. Achieving these will deliver significant benefits in terms of water quality, biodiversity, health and wellbeing, the economy, awareness raising and respect for our environment within the local community.

Steps to get it done:

• Survey undertaken
• Project mapping and planning carried out
• Run community events and clean ups
• Report and case studies produced along with lessons learnt document

Raising awareness of the plight of our rivers is vital. Through co-ordinated promotion and educational activities we will raise awareness of the plight of the Ely and other rivers. The hope is that this work will mean that future generations show more respect towards our rivers and are better at looking after them.