Caring for the Crane

The River Crane is a beautiful suburban river which, like many others, has suffered from neglect over many years.  Cranford resident, Umme Khanzada, was concerned for some time about the state of the river near her home. The turning point came for Umme when she saw a small wild mammal, perhaps a rat, stuck inside a discarded tin at the edge of the river.  Neighbours came together to form Cranford Action Group and since then they have organised regular litter picks and other conservation work.  Over the last four years more than 200 tonnes of litter have been cleared by eighty volunteers.  The group got permission from Transport for London to install planters near the Bath Road bridge, helping to make this a reminder of nature in a heavily urbanised place. “This is a beautiful but neglected river and as local people we are working together to protect it.  There is so much potential, for example, for planting trees and making wildflower meadows,” said organiser Umme.  The group has recently secured a small grant from the Crane Valley Partnership Community Fund to buy equipment such as waders and to provide welfare and refreshments to the hard-working volunteers.

The Crane Valley Partnership Community Fund offers small grants of up to £2,000 to cover organisational costs such as field equipment, PPE, operational services and training, promotional material, site infrastructure and events.

River Crane at Cranford – a problem with litter and a neighbourly solution by Cranford Action Group

Habitats & Heritage is a member of the Crane Valley Partnership.  We support community groups in looking after the environment of the River Crane and the catchment.