Happy New Year from Save Windermere 🎉
2023 has been a whirlwind of a year for the Save Windermere campaign. Since our first event in February, we’ve achieved a huge amount, thanks mainly to our incredible supporters, partners and our amazing team.
Just today, Matt has been named in The Sunday Times 2023 alternative honours list, which we are incredibly proud of.
We wanted to share some of the highlights from this year and wish you all a very happy new year. We also want to say a huge thank you for making our first year as a community interest company such a success.
In the last few months, we have exposed the truth about the UK’s sewage network, uncovered evidence of illegal discharges in the catchment and exposed the failings of the Environment Agency. To achieve this, we have submitted and analysed a huge volume of EIR requests; we’ve conducted rigorous, independent, scientific surveys specifically targeting United Utilities’ assets; and have met with every major political party, including DEFRA ministers and the shadow environment minister. Our reach has grown exponentially and we’ve been featured by every national newspaper and television broadcaster. Additionally, we’ve reached over 4 million people in the last few months through our own social media platforms. Finally, we are now actively engaged with several national and international legal firms, who are advising us in our bid to Save Windermere.
2023 has been the year that Save Windermere has proven it’s here to stay. It’s been a busy year, but there is much more to be done. We won’t stop fighting until we have secured a long-term infrastructural solution that will protect our lake — for us, for our families, for our wildlife and for this nation — forever.
If you haven’t already, please sign our new petition and take 10 minutes to watch our latest film. Also, ask your friends and family to do the same.
Most importantly, have a very happy new year and a wonderful 2024!
Very best,
Save Windermere Team
First Save Windermere event held in February 2023.
Paul Whitehouse’s ‘Our Troubled Rivers’ airs on BBC in March.
New branding & website launched and new film ‘A Simple Message’ released in April.
First Parliamentary visit in April.
5 Save Windermere community meetings held in May.
Demonstration on the Glebe on 29 May, with speeches from Steve Coogan, Lee Mack and Paul Whitehouse, attended by over 2000 people and receiving national press coverage.
Save Windermere wins ‘Changemaker of the Year’ award at Westminster in July.
The second wave of our invertebrate sampling kicked-off in the autumn, with volunteers sampling at 16 river sites across the catchment. Full year results from our SmartRivers Hub will be released in the New Year.
In September, we hosted the Chefs 4 Save Windermere event, raising almost £50,000 for the campaign, with the support of The Gilpin, Simon Rogan Restaurants, Allium at Askham Hall, The Brown Horse Inn, The Dog & Gun Inn Skelton and many more!
In October, we announced our partnership with the UK Space Agency and Map Impact, using satellite imagery to monitor the lake.
From November, The Save Windermere Strike Against Sewage began outside the United Utilities Information Centre in Windermere.
On December 4th, Save Windermere featured in the BBC Panorama, ‘The Water Pollution Cover-Up’.
Our new film ‘An Upstream Battle’ arrived in mid-December, along with our new petition which gained over 10,000 signatures in the first 4 days. To date, our 3 petitions have over 347,000 signatories.
