Who are we?
The South East Rivers Trust is an environmental charity working to protect and restore rivers across South East England. Since 2000, we’ve been bringing communities, businesses, landowners and partners together to improve river health for people and wildlife.
We’re proud to be part of the wider Rivers Trust movement, a network of independent charities working to protect rivers across the UK and Ireland. Today, we work across 12 river catchments from Basingstoke to Dover, delivering practical, evidence-led solutions that help rivers thrive again for communities and nature.
eDNA testing on the River Wandle in South London © South East Rivers Trust
Our mission
Helping rivers thrive again for communities and nature.
Healthy rivers are essential for wildlife, people and resilient communities. Our mission is to restore and protect rivers across South East England using evidence-led, nature-based solutions that improve river health and create lasting benefits for people and wildlife.
We work with communities, landowners, businesses, schools and partners to tackle the challenges facing our rivers, from pollution and habitat loss to climate change and water scarcity. Through river restoration, education, citizen science and catchment partnerships, we’re creating healthier, more resilient rivers for future generations.
Our impact in numbers
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300
river cleanups
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40,000
volunteer hours restoring rivers
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17,000 m
river restored
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20,000
pupils inspired about rivers
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50,000 m³
flood storage created
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33 km
fish passage created
Team SERT
