Thames Water site at Hughenden Stream

As part of the River Wye restoration project Thames Water provided funding for Chiltern Rangers to organise a clean up of the Hughenden Stream which is a tributary of the River Wye.

Together with help from staff from the The Royal Star & Garter Home in High Wycombe, Bucks New University students, Extra Care Charitable Trust’s Hughenden Garden Village residents and charity volunteers we cleaned up a stretch of the Hughenden Stream.  This was part of a community project to return the River Wye to a condition which can be enjoyed by people and wildlife.  They donned wellies to pick out bottles, crisp packets, cigarette ends and other rubbish along a 400 metre stretch of the stream.  We also started to develop a wildflower meadow and carefully removed in-channel vegetation to improve the flow.

In the end 45 people managed to fill up a large skip full of rubbish. Thanks to the Extra Care Charitable Trust team for finding space for the skip and the Spindle & Thread pub who provided free refreshments for all those taking part. Royal Star and Garter’s Chelle Daly said: “It was great to work with Chiltern Rangers and our neighbours to tidy up this beautiful stretch of water, for our residents and the whole community to enjoy.”
Paul Stack, Education and Community Engagement Manager at Chiltern Rangers, said: “It was a hugely successful community event. It was great to see everybody joining in and working together. This is only the start, we have more to do!”