Charles Watson, founder of River Action UK, on the crisis in our rivers

10/05/21 • 42 min

S3, Ep.2 It would have been lovely not to need to do this interview, but sadly our rivers - and the River Wye in particular - are in crisis, and as rowers and river-lovers you ought to know what's going on. So today I'm talking to Charles Watson, founder of charity and campaigning group, River Action UK, to find out what's wrong with our rivers and what we can do about it.

How Charles went from PR boss to environmental campaigner
What's wrong with the River Wye
The elephant in the room dressed as a chicken
Three solutions
What you can do
How much time we have left

Resources
River Action UK
The Rivercide documentary
The BBC Panorama documentary , The River Pollution Scandal
River Action petition
Petition to ban discharge of raw sewage into watercourses
Find your MP hereFind your local Rivers Trust hereWhere to report pollution incidents:
In England: Environment Agency https://www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident

In Wales: Natural Resources Wales https://naturalresources.wales/about-us/contact-us/report-an-environmental-incident/?lang=en

Find your water company here
Find your water company's contact details hereGroups
Rowers United to Save the PlanetThe Rivers TrustFriends of the Lower WyeFriends of the Upper WyeWye Valley AONBFind them on Twitter! DEFRA @DEFRAGovUKAvara Foods @AvaraToodsTesco @tescoSainsburys @sainsburysWaitrose @waitroseMarks & Spencer @MarksandSpencerMorrisons @MorrisonsAsda @asdaCo-Op @coopukAldi @AldiUKLidl @LidlGBRiver Action UK @RiverActionUK

How Charles went from PR boss to environmental campaigner
What's wrong with the River Wye
The elephant in the room dressed as a chicken
Three solutions
What you can do
How much time we have left

In Wales: Natural Resources Wales https://naturalresources.wales/about-us/contact-us/report-an-environmental-incident/?lang=en

Previous Episode

Kate Lindgren aka the Blind Sculler

S3, Ep.1 A very warm welcome back to the podcast for season 3. I'm really delighted to introduce you to Kate Lindgren, my latest guest, who is a member of Peterborough Rowing Club and a passionate sculler. Having lost her sight as a young woman, she only came to rowing later in life but has taken to it with an enthusiasm that can't fail to be infectious. Kate and I talk about:

How and when she lost her sight
Life in work and society as a blind person
Roller disco!
How she discovered rowing
How her other senses come into play in rowing
The sounds of rowing
Single sculling and working with a coach and navigator
Kate's favourite drill
Kate's 20K challenge
Racing
Kate's own rowing language with her coach and their private rowing language
Adaptive rowing and what it involves for clubs
How to make rowing more attractive to people with disabilities
The joy rowing gives to Kate
Lockdown and ZoomErgos
Kate's plans to row in a new place

You can find Kate on Twitter at @kathryn2503To join my Patreon scheme, head to https://www.patreon.com/girlontheriver

Next Episode

Napoleon Griffin on male breast cancer, diversity in rowing and the joy of sculling

S3, Ep 3. As many of you know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, and had a mastectomy, chemo and immunotherapy, and since then I've been on a bit of a mission to inform people about things they might need to know about the condition. Which is why I was so thrilled when Napoleon Griffin agreed to come on the show. As both a rower and a male breast cancer survivor, Napoleon and I had LOADS to talk about.
You can find Napoleon on Instagram here
We talked about:

Coming to rowing later in life
Background as a track and field athlete
Discovering he had breast cancer
The importance of getting any symptoms of male breast cancer checked
The treatment and the mental battle
Second run-in with cancer
The financial implications of having cancer
Finishing treatment - regenerating
The resources available re male breast cancer
The importance of self-examination for men as well as women
Getting fit after cancer and the benefits of being fit in bouncing back (and outcomes)
Learning to scull in Puerto Rico with sharks and manatees!
Rowing vs running
Making history as the first all black quad at US Masters
Diversity in rowing
World Masters 2022
Plans for a breast cancer survivors' 2022
How cancer changes your attitude to life
Representing your country at international events
Athletes Without Limits