WTT advising local residents group at Holmfirth

There are increasing numbers of local groups who are involved with caring for their local river. One such group is the River Holme Connections Group who aim to improve the River Holme for people and the environment. The WTT is increasingly supporting these groups with advice and practical training. The report below from WTT Trout in the Town Programme Manager Paul Gaskell highlights how an Advisory Visit can turn into a wider involvement with local residents on how best to care for and improve their river.

Paul Gaskell said: 

‘Taking a novel approach to communicating the findings and advice from a typical Advisory Visit report seemed to be a hit in Holmfirth. Following an original report on what was good and what could be improved on the urban river corridor of the River Holme in Holmfirth, I suggested that the reach and impact of those findings could be extended.

The River Holme Connections group (formerly ​“River2015”) were fantastic hosts and we met a good-sized contingent of local residents and interested parties on a bridge over the river in the centre of town. Following a short introduction and pointing out of relevant details for context, we trooped across the road and upstairs in the Parish Church so that I could take everyone through the major findings of my original report. This format allowed a full explanation of the rationale behind each recommendation or comment – and was very well received by the audience.

The question and answer aspect of the presentation was also extremely useful for both myself and the attendees. For me, it allowed me to tailor particular details for individual audience members (not only the audience as a whole). That also will help me when writing similar reports for comparable audience members in future.

Overall a very enjoyable experience – and one that certainly extended the number of people who now have a good handle on the content of that written report (which, for good reasons, often have a more limited audience).’

Click here for details of the advice and practical help that the WTT can offer.