Donation from L&Q and partners helps eco group continue with community clean up
An eco-conscious community group will be able to resume its work cleaning up the Regents Canal in East London after receiving a donation from leading housing association L&Q and Durkan.
Three people holding Lower Regents Coalition flag by canal
The Lower Regents Coalition is a group of volunteers that has helped improve the health and appearance of a 1km stretch of the waterway. However, the group suffered a major setback last November when its headquarters and storage lock up was broken into, and around £8,000 of equipment was stolen or destroyed.
Now, the volunteers will be able to get back to work after receiving a total donation of £3,000. This was made up of £1,000 each from L&Q and Durkan, who are delivering improvements to the housing association’s homes in East London.
A further £1,000 prize money was awarded to Dave Bedford, the founder of the group and an L&Q resident, who was recognised at the G15 group of London’s largest housing associations Community Impact Awards in February.
Dave Bedford, a member of L&Q’s Resident Services Board and co-founder of Lower Regents Coalition, received the money on behalf of the group and said:
“The community group Lower Regents Coalition has recently had some major setbacks with the loss of their equipment. Thanks to L&Q and Durkan’s donations we can continue with our work in the community. Without these partners helping the group it would be very hard to continue. A huge thank you to all of them.”
Sharon Boot, Community Development Lead at L&Q, said:
“The Lower Regents Coalition has done so much to revitalise a 1km stretch of the canal and surrounding area. By offering local people opportunities to get involved in environmental work, it’s also helped build skills and community cohesion. We’re so pleased that we have been able to contribute to getting this vital work back on track.”
Roseane Craig, Social Value Coordinator at Durkan, said:
“It was an honour to attend this event and to represent on behalf of Durkan. These local residents, who have shared such an appreciation and importance for giving back to the Regents Canal, have not gone unnoticed. They have protected and improved immensely the appearance of the waterway for everyone to enjoy. I honestly felt I could live by the canal it was so tranquil.”
Since forming, the Lower Regents Coalition has removed thousands of bags of rubbish from in and around the canal, created two meadows with more than 20 varieties of flowers, and planted 225m of aquatic vegetation.
The new and improved biodiverse habitat has brought more wildlife to the canal, offering shelter, spawning and nesting areas for pollinators, insects and birds alike.
Lower Regents Coalition has set up a Just Giving page for people to donate if they would like to contribute to replacing its equipment.