Clean Up the River Brent – “CURB”

CURB was founded by Ben Morris in October 2021 in response to a significant pollution incident on the Lower Brent, and is part of a growing movement to regenerate the UK’s badly degraded rivers.

Ben was fortunate enough to meet Phil Alford, whose work on the Brent goes back a decade, and the two have been collaborating on a wide range of initiatives to improve the river. Ben and Phil are both BRCS Trustees.

CURB, working in association with Thames21, and together with local volunteers including LAGER Can has removed around 100 tonnes of rubbish from the river – including over 500 car tyres – has initiated an invasive species replacement programme, planting hundreds of reed and rush rhizomes, reports regularly to Thames Water and the Environment Agency on pollution, is building connections with other volunteer groups throughout the Brent Catchment, and is currently trialling a self-started network of water quality sensors with the support of the Environment Agency.

We are campaigning to prevent discharges into the Brent, an example of which featured on Channel 4’s Dispatches investigation into river pollution on 29 August 2022. 

Further press coverage of CURB activities:

https://inews.co.uk/news/river-brent-hit-by-tide-of-death-pollution-that-leaves-eels-gasping-for-oxygen-1866288

https://ealing.news/news/local-campaigners-say-save-the-eels-of-ealing-over-concerns-that-there-is-a-tide-of-death-in-river-brent/

https://www.ealingtimes.co.uk/news/23154394.former-bake-off-host-joins-ealing-volunteers-huge-clean-up/

If you would like to get involved with CURB, please contact Ben Morris on…

cleanuptheriverbrent@gmail.com
@BrentPollution
CURB – Clean Up the River Brent on Facebook

CURB volunteers clearing balsam from the river bank
CURB volunteers clearing balsam from the river bank
Volunteers clear dumped tyres from the river
Volunteers clear dumped tyres from the river