The River Waveney Trust have a stall at this event. Please come and support us!

 For the first time this year, as part of the Beccles Charter Weekend, the Waveney Wild Swim will be staged to tie in with the celebration on Sunday, July 1, with swimmers setting off from the Waveney River Centre, in Burgh St Peter, and swimming down the river for about 11.5km to Beccles Quay. The River Waveney Trust is one of their chosen charities.

Beccles Charter Weekend will take place on June 30 and July 1 to celebrate the granting of the town’s historic charter by Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1584. The weekend will include historic boats and river trips, exhibitions, open gardens, music, special displays and more.   During the weekend a number of gardens, courtyards and other spaces of interest in the town will be open to the public and this year’s event has a number of new participants, notably the Beccles Men’s Shed and the Beccles Fairtrade group, as well as groups such as the Waveney Stardust. Charter Weekend is intended to be a celebration of the town and during it visitors and residents alike are encouraged to visit some of its secret places and many attractions.    

Programme of Talks and Walks   10am                Event Opens – opening speech                 Keith Lead, (Chair RWT) 11am               Talk – ‘Aquatic Invasive Species’            Katy Owen (NNNSI) 11.30am          Guided River Walk                                   Tony Brown/Ann Henwood  (RWT) 12noon            Talk – ‘Natural Flood Management’        Jude Ward (EA) 12.30pm          River walk                                                Bas Eastaugh (RWT) 1pm                Talk - ‘Wildlife recording’                       Sam Neal (NBIS) 1.30pm           Guided River Walk                                   Tony Brown/Ann Henwood  (RWT) 2pm                Talk - River Watchers                              Gill Allard/Gordon Lascelles (RWT) 2.30pm           River walk                                                Bas Eastaugh (RWT) 3pm               Talk – ‘Invasive Species’                          Katy Owen (NNNSI)       From 11.00am-1.30pm  Dan Hoare, aquatic invertebrate recorder, will be leading pond dipping.   Information stalls from all agencies, including Butterfly Conservation, environmental games and refreshments will be available all day.      

Note ; Again we are a week earlier than normal (not at our usual last Monday of the month).  Plenty to talk about with Phase 2 Lock Chamber work due to start in July. Hope to see you there.  New members alway welcome.  

Maintaining and improving water quality. An illustrated talk by WILL AKAST, Catchment Manager, Environment Agency.   Free admission.  Refreshments available.  Parking in the nearby town car park. Details: s.coastalfoe@yahoo.co.uk; 01728 663359 www.foe.co.uk/groups/suffolkcoastal  

Do join us for our monthly "natter and noggin" in the back room of the Bear and Bells.  We are meeting one week earlier than normal due to the Bank Holiday at the end of May As always - new members are specially welcome. If you are reading this as an email, click on the "Event Details" link below for further information.

  Come and visit your local Wildlife Reserve Sunday, 20th May 2018   (10am – 4pm) This is an invitation to join us at our Frenze Beck County Wildlife Reserve to witness the work undertaken to date on this local 30 acre site. It is located adjacent to the Frenze Beck (an important tributary of the River Waveney) and can be accessed from Sawmills Road, opposite the Animal Feed shop in Diss. Many species of mammals, birds, butterflies, bats and insects have been recorded here in the last year or so. Come along anytime between 10 am and 4 pm to walk around the site on the newly formed footpaths and see what has been achieved by a very dedicated team of volunteers of our Trust. The site is owned by South Norfolk DC and we are enhancing and maintaining the site on behalf of SNDC, working to a 10 year Plan produced by an appointed ecologist. There will be a River Waveney Trust stall and pet food available from Animal Feed, together with light refreshments at a modest price. If you are impressed with what you see, and can enjoy on your doorstop, you may wish to join the Trust and become a volunteer. Or you may just wish to enjoy this wildlife site and bring the family, including the dog !   We look forward to seeing you. From                                   The RWT Frenze Beck Team                                                                                                       

Local natutalist and RWT trustee Tony Brown will be giving an illustrated  talk entitled 'The River Waveney and its Wildlife' at Blyburgate Hall, Blyburgate, Beccles on Monday 9th April. Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets are £5 for non members and £2.50 for members of the RWT. Entrance fee includes a complimentary drink and nibbles on arrival. Refreshments will also be available during the interval. All profits go to the River Waveney Trust. Directions: Blyburgate Hall (NR34 9TF)is the former home of St John's Ambulance in Beccles and is still known to many as "St John's Ambulance Hall"

Please join us for our monthly gathering.

Our next "natter and noggin" on Monday 26 Feb in Bear and  Bells. All welcome.    

Our first "natter and noggin" of 2018 will be on Monday 28th Jan at our normal venue. All welcome.