Staniek wins ‘Changemaker of the Year’ Award 2023
Westminster, 12 July 2023
Press Release · 13 July 2023
Matt Staniek, founder of the Save Windermere campaign, was yesterday announced as the winner of the ‘Changemaker of the Year Award’ at the 2023 National Park Protector Awards.
Staniek collected his award in a packed ceremony of dignitaries, conservationists and MP’s in the House of Commons.
In the award citation, Staniek was praised by the Campaign for National Parks for his “high impact and beautifully produced videos” and his work "highlighting water company pollution in Windermere.”
“Matt has built, from nothing, a movement that has steadily put a local issue onto the national stage.”
Speaking from the stage, Matt highlighted the damage that United Utilities is doing in Windermere and repeated his call for complete removal of all sewage discharges into the Windermere catchment. He said:
“United Utilities’ operations are currently and have historically been the largest input of nutrient into the lake. We are campaigning for an end to sewage pollution in its entirety, looking at the case study of Lake Annecy in France, […] which is classified as the cleanest lake in Europe. In the 60s they saw increases in algal blooms and declines in fish populations which they put down to the sewage. So since the 60s they have progressively channeled all their sewage into a network of pipes which means there is now no sewage going into Annecy at all.
This is just one of the key case studies globally where communities have addressed the issue of declining water quality by removing the primary input into the ecosystem. We need government intervention for Windermere, we need enforcement of the law, we need hundreds of millions of pounds invested and we ultimately need to stop the sewage going into the lake. This is what’s required to ensure the protection of this nation's lake forever.”
In an ironic twist, Staniek received his award on the same day the Environment Agency’s annual report downgraded United Utilities’ environmental rating from 4 stars to 3. The EA report states:
“We are clear that things simply must improve.”
The best way to support the campaign and join the fight to Save Windermere is by signing up for email so we can keep you up to date with our latest news and let you know about opportunities to add your voice.
