Living with water and rivers: now and into the future

Bringing together local and national voices, the day creates space and opportunity to reflect on the health of our rivers, understand the impacts of pollution and climate change, and identify the actions we can take to restore Nature and strengthen communities.

Through a series of engaging panel discussions, pledges and calls to action, we will explore:

• Testing the waters: uncovering hidden pollutants
• From land to water: how river systems respond
• Water, rivers and climate change: adaptation and resilience
• Cross-party collaboration: hearing from our elected representatives

The programme concludes with an evening film screening of “” (Ticketed) and the launch of the Clean, Green and Blue Challenge for Stratford-upon-Avon, led by Rubbish Friends.

Whether you are a local resident, activist, policymaker, land manager, or simply someone who cares about water and Nature, this event is for you.

This event has been made possible with the generous support of the Crowne Plaza Stratford upon Avon, Stratford Town Trust, Purple Square Audio Visual Ltd, the Launch Agency and ENCODE.

Session collaborators: UK River Summit, Rivers Rights Network, Beneath British British Waters (film-maker, Mark Barrow), SafeAvon, South Warwickshire Area Network for Wildlife (SWAN), Napton Environmental Action Team (NEAT), Stratford Climate Action and Manuela Perteghella.

Photo credit: Martin Liddament

Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon
Daytime programme: Free entry (pre-registration required)
Evening film screening: Ticketed

River Hope’s is an informative, thought-provoking, inspiring and collaborative programme celebrating water, rivers and their ecosystems across South Warwickshire.

Running from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 March 2026 and including the International Day of Action for Rivers on Saturday 14 March,The Gathering brings together science, activism, creative arts, ceremony, celebration, and pledges for advocacy and practical action.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher The Gathering: for water and Nature