Cardiff Rivers Group
{{Short description|Cardiff environmental charity}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Cardiff Rivers Group
|native_name = Grŵp afonydd Caerdydd
|image = File:Logo of Cardiff Rivers Group.jpg
|size =
|abbreviation = CRG
|formation = 2009
|status = Charitable incorporated organisation
|purpose = Clean up and improve water courses. Recycling and habitat management across the city.
|location = Cardiff
|region_served = Wales
|registration_id = {{var|1191857}}
|membership =
|leader_title =
|leader_name =
|leader_title2 =
|main_organ =
|affiliations =
|volunteers =
|budget =
|website = {{url|https://cardiffriversgroup.org.uk/}}
|awards = Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
}}
Cardiff Rivers Group (CRG) is a volunteer-run environmental charity which holds events across Cardiff and South Wales at which volunteers clean up and improve watercourses: rivers, streams, ponds or the sea. This could be a general litter pick of areas surrounding a watercourse, clearance of debris from a river or pond or removal of fly-tipping. The group also undertakes habitat management across the city in conjunction with Cardiff Council urban park rangers.
Background
The Group was founded in 2009 by Dave King MBE and other like-minded volunteers from Keep Wales Tidy.{{Cite web|url=https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Case_study%3ACardiff_Rivers_Group|title=Case Study:Cardiff Rivers Group- RESTORE|access-date=6 June 2024}} Events take place across Cardiff typically every couple of week ranging from cleaning the banks of the Rhymney River{{cite news |author= |date=2 Apr 2018 |title='Largest' plastics haul in Cardiff river bank clean-up |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-43620667 |work=BBC |location= |access-date=5 June 2024}} or Cardiff Bay{{cite news |last=Deacon|first=Thomas|date=24 May 2021 |title=The 'horrendous' amount of rubbish cleared up from Cardiff Bay in one day |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/cardiff-bay-clean-up-litter-20666478 |work=Wales Online |location= |access-date=15 June 2024}} to making a hedge in Grangemoor Park{{Cite web |url=https://cardiffjournalism.co.uk/thecardiffian/2024/03/08/new-homes-for-wildlife-in-grangemoor-park/|title=new homes for wildlife in grangemoor park/ |date=8 March 2024 |access-date=5 June 2024}} or trying to eradicate the invasive Himalayan Balsam.{{cite news |last=Tambini |first=Louise |date=20 Jul 2010 |title=Cardiff Rivers Group tackle Himalayan Balsam along River Ely |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cardiff/2010/jul/20/cardiff-rivers-group-himalayan-balsam |work=The Guardian |location= |access-date=5 June 2024}} Volunteers do not need to register, just turn up to an event as and when they wish. The group can expect up to 70 volunteers for any given event.{{cite news |last=Walford|first=Jessica|date=17 Jun 2019 |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/volunteers-who-spent-decade-cleaning-16519892
|title= The volunteers who have spent a decade cleaning Cardiff's rivers |work=Wales Online |location= |access-date=9 June 2024}}
CRG emphasises the social aspect of the litter picks as well as the environmental benefits. Their website states "Most importantly, our volunteers have fun!".{{Cite web|url=https://cardiffriversgroup.org.uk/what-we-do///|title=What we do |access-date=4 June 2024}} In an interview with Cardiff council on receiving his MBE, founder Dave King said "The Rivers Group is more than just a litter picking thing. You can get out, make friends, you're really making a difference. We've helped people prepare to get jobs, we're a social circle, and we're a network."{{Cite web|url=https://cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/21748.html |title= King awarded MBE in Queen's Birthday Honours List |access-date=5 June 2024}} In 2024, Wales Online featured some of the more unusual discarded items that the group have found.{{cite news |last=Johnston|first=Elen|date=9 April 2024 |title='Nothing shocks us anymore' - Creepy dolls, sex toys and a child's letter to her dead cat found by litter-picking group |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gallery/nothing-shocks-anymore-creepy-dolls-28961664 |work=Wales Online |location= |access-date=26 July 2024}}
In addition to grant funding,{{cite news |last=Waldram|first=Hannah|date=26 Apr 2011 |title=Cardiff Rivers Group receive cash boost to continue Taff clean up |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cardiff/2011/apr/26/cardiff-rivers-group-cash-boost |work=The Guardian |location= |access-date=5 June 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.recyclemetals.org/newsandarticles/emr-makes-first-donations-from-environment-fund.html|title=EMR makes first donations from Environment Fund|access-date=6 June 2024}} much of what is found, especially scrap metal and nitrous oxide canisters, is recycled to fund the charity.{{Cite web|url=https://keepwalestidy.cymru/case-study/cardiff-rivers-group/|title=Keep Wales Tidy- Cardiff Rivers Group|access-date=4 June 2024}}{{cite news |last=Gray|first=Katherine|date=1 Jan 2024 |title=Thousands of huge laughing gas canisters carrying more than four tonnes of drug collected |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/thousands-huge-laughing-gas-canisters-28367630 |work=Wales Online |location= |access-date=20 June 2024}}
In 2015 The group were partners in Cardiff Council's Environmental scrutiny committee producing the "Restore Our Rivers" report. This listed some of the group's successes and stated the group had 350 volunteers.{{Cite web|url=https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=22185 |title= Restore Our Rivers |access-date=11 June 2024}}
In 2020 CRG registered as a Charitable incorporated organisation.{{Cite web|url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5166835/governance|title=Governance, CARDIFF RIVERS GROUP - 1191857, Register of Charities - The Charity Commission|access-date=7 June 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://cardiffriversgroup.org.uk/crg-is-now-a-cio-so-what-does-that-mean//|title=CRG is now a CIO|access-date=4 June 2024}}
Cardiff Rivers Group partnered with Nextbike while they were active in Cardiff, receiving scrap in return for reuniting abandoned bikes with the company.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nextbike.co.uk/en/news/report-a-lost-bike-in-cardiff-and-penarth/#:~:text=Nextbike%20has%20also%20teamed%20up,been%20thrown%20into%20the%20water. |title= NextBike in Cardiff and Penarth|access-date=4 June 2024}}{{cite news |last=Nurse|first=Rachel|date=27 July 2021 |title=Spotted a stray hire bike? Here's how to report it and raise charity cash |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/19472758.cardiff-penarth-nextbike---report-lost-bike-raise-cash/ |work=South Wales Argus |location= |access-date=16 August 2024}}
Awards
In the Tidy Wales awards for 2012, run by Keep Wales Tidy, the group were winners in the River Improvement category and the overall Tidy Wales winner.{{Cite web|url=https://cardiffriversgroup.org.uk/we-only-won/|title=We only Won....!!!!|access-date=13 September 2024}}
In 2015, CRG was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award that can be made to a voluntary group, for "Helping communities take responsibility for the cleanliness of their local
In 2023, CRG was shortlisted for the Welsh Charity Awards, run by WCVA, and a runner-up in the income generation category{{Cite web|url=https://wcva.cymru/the-welsh-charity-awards-2023-winners-announced/|title=The Welsh Charity Awards 2023 – Winners announced|date=12 October 2023 |access-date=24 May 2024}}
A Guinness World Record for the most participants in a river clean-up at multiple locations was broken in March 2025 on the river Taff,{{cite news |last=Price|first=Ben|date=26 Apr 2011 |title=World record for volunteer river clean-up smashed|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyg2yq4xx2o |work=BBC |location= |access-date=28 March 2025}} Cardiff Rivers Group were one of the groups taking part in contributing to the 1327 participants.