The Lune Rivers Trust is an environmental charity with the following stated charitable objectives:
To conserve, protect, rehabilitate and improve the rivers, streams, watercourses and water impoundments of the catchments comprising the River Lune throughout its entire course and all its associated tributaries in Cumbria, Yorkshire and North Lancashire.
To advance the education of the public, or any association, company, local authority, administrative or governmental agency or public body or representative body in: –
(1) The understanding of rivers, river corridors and catchments, including their fauna, flora and economic or social activity, and river catchment management.
(2) The need for, and benefits of, conservation, protection, rehabilitation and improvement of aquatic environments.
As our name and charitable objectives imply, our work is focused on the Lune catchment. As well as the River Lune and its tributaries, our catchment also includes the River Keer, River Conder, River Cocker, Pilling Water and Ridgy Pool. The map below shows our area of operations:
For the first 10 years of our existence, many of you would have known us as The Lune Habitat Group. In 2000 the Group, led by then Chairman, Mick Jackson, was recognized by ENTRUST as an environmental body with the aim of protecting and improving riverine habitat and encouraging the biodiversity of the River Lune and its tributaries.
In 2007, following approaches from the Association of Rivers Trusts, it was decided that we should become a charitable trust – The Lune Rivers Trust. We therefore became a Private Limited Company in January 2008 and a Registered Charity in January 2009. After the death of her husband, Chris Littlefield in February 2008, Sarah Littlefield (now James) became the Trust’s secretary, and managed the Trust up until 2020.
Since 2012, Lune Rivers Trust has been the official Defra-appointed host organisation for the Catchment Based Approach partnership for the Lune catchment (the Living Lune Partnership). The Catchment Based Approach is part of an England-wide Defra programme to meet the obligations of the European Water Framework Directive. Following Brexit, the objectives of the Water Framework Directive will be transposed into UK law, and hence the CaBA programme will remain very relevant.
Since 2012 Lune Rivers Trust has continued to develop. We have expanded the type of activities that we deliver and the sources of funding that we can access. Going forward, Lune Rivers Trust will continue to evolve, to adapt to the changing funding circumstances, to increase the impact of our work in terms of responding to climate change, and to reflect the increasing public awareness of and concern about environmental issues.
Lune Rivers Trust is also a member of the wider Rivers Trust Movement. The Rivers Trust Movement consists of an umbrella organisation (The Rivers Trust) and over 60 individual, local rivers trusts (such as us). We are hence an integral part of a very extensive environmental movement. We work in close cooperation with our sister local Rivers Trusts, particularly those Trusts that operate in the river catchments that adjoin our catchment.