Following Government Guidelines and working closely with the Stowe Sub Aqua Group, Buckingham Town Council’s annual river rinse along the River Great Ouse that flows through Buckingham was able to take place on Sunday 27th September.
Organised by Buckingham Town Council, the annual event was done without the usual army of volunteers. Instead Stowe Sub Aqua Group who go in the river, formed a bubble of six and Buckingham Town Council formed a bubble of six on the bank to collect the debris pulled from the river and to litter pick. Among the Town Council’s group were river wardens Jane and John Rooney who regularly litter pick and check on the stretch of river being worked on.
The rinse went from Bourton Park car park on Bourton Road up to the cricket club. A lot of tree branches had to be cleared as they were overhanging the river or had come down in the river slowing the flow of the water. Among the finds this year was a very rusty children’s scooter.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury, Chairman of the Town Centre & Events Committee said, “It was positive that we were able to achieve one of our two river rinses. This environmental project that has been undertaken for a great number of years in conjunction with Stowe Sub Aqua Club and Buckingham Town Council staff. We did manage to clear one section within Bourton Park. Unfortunately, we were defeated in our ambitions to repeat the process the following weekend. I would like to thank all those people involved working under difficult conditions to achieve something positive during Covid, and for their continuing ambitions to maintain a clean river environment.”
The second rinse was due to take place on Sunday 4th October. Due to persistent and heavy rain leading up to the event and the fact that Saturday afternoon river levels were rising and the river flowing quite fast, a decision was made on Saturday evening to call the event off.
For enquiries please contact Amanda Brubaker, Events Coordinator at Buckingham Town Council on 01280 816426, office@buckingham-tc.gov.uk.