On a beautiful spring day, new volunteers enjoyed a morning of getting to know each other and their mentors during a BedsGOVET training day, held at Harrold Country Park for easy access to the water.
The training, run by Trustee Henry Lafferty, was a good mix of understanding the issues surrounding the River Great Ouse and rivers and seas nationally, and hands-on testing to understand and undertake the different tests we do for nitrates, phosphates, E. coli, amongst others, on a monthly basis.
Our volunteering pool has, over the past year, grown, and we are so pleased to welcome new blood to help with our testing programmes, as well as other activities such as fundraising and analytical data management.
Without the passion of our volunteers, we would not be able to do the work we do. And certainly would not be able to expand the testing programmes that we have planned for 2026.
We are now doing more sites than ever and have a new Outfall Safari testing programme to source other pollutants contaminating the River Great Ouse.
Why they join our mission
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of reasons as to why they want to get involved with BedsGOVET and our testing activities. Here are some of their stories.
James Lowe explains his compulsion to get involved, “I am a keen fisherman and open water swimmer, so the health of our waterways is very important to me.
“I have recently seen documentaries and written articles highlighting the poor water quality and the potential effects this could have on health, not only on people but also the wildlife that lives in and on the water.”
Quentin and Margo Butler heard about our charity in a recent newsletter from the Borough Council.
”We have got involved with BedsGOVET because we think that it is a massive concern for our country that river water is being badly compromised by E. coli and nitrates,” they said.
“This is damaging human health, wild animals fish and insects, and also damaging sea life. There must be explanations for the causes, and the damage can be stopped.
“The Environment Agency needs hard data in order to trace the sources, and we want to do something positive to help them by gathering data.”
BedsGOVET has also been working with local fishing groups, and Owen Kavanagh has been volunteering for a few months; his fishing prowess and in-depth knowledge of the river are highly valuable to our work.
He said: “I am a recently retired angler, a member/committee member/water bailiff for three local angling clubs fishing the Great Ouse around Bedford.
“I also support Angling Trust & Environment Agency as part of the Volunteer Bailiff Service. So, I have seen how water quality has changed over the recent decades and wanted to help get our river back to good quality.”
Another couple who decided to join us were Rob and Julie Pearson.
They told us they are “…keen to hold water companies to account when they deny discharges have happened and don’t take responsibility for the subsequent knock-on effects such discharges have on the ecology of the water bodies affected.”
It was Richard Pool’s love and interest in environmental science that brought both him and his wife Ann to the training session.
“.. having studied environmental science at university and the science element appealed to me as well as the issues concerning freshwater ecosystems.
“It looked like a good opportunity to engage with the river ecosystem through volunteering to help monitor river health and exploring data.”
You can help too
Whether it is due to your hobby, interest, or ideology, volunteering with BedsGOVET allows you to come together with like-minded people who care about the environment.
And, more importantly, want to do something practical to ensure our local stretch of the River Great Ouse is made safe for all.
If you would like to get involved in any capacity, please email Henry Lafferty at henry.lafferty@bedsgovet.org. There are many ways you can assist us with our mission to ‘Don’t Lose the Ouse’.
To find out more about BedsGOVET and the Don’t Lose the Ouse campaign, head to our new look website or our Facebook page.
By Inga Wells. Executive MBA, PG Dip DMS.
The Bedford Independent is proud to support BedsGOVET in their
vital work to monitor water quality in the River Great Ouse
and provide them with space for a column as
part of their Don’t Lose the Ouse campaign.
