Trout in the Town Conclave
Day two timetable
9.00 Registration, coffee, chat
9.30 Welcome Laura Bates (Chair RWF) and Paul Gaskell (WTT)
9.45 Introduction to the River Worth Sam Riley-Gunn (Aire Rivers Trust)
10.15 Keynote presentation Robert Hellawell (Friends of Bradford Becks) and Emily Eden (Yorkshire Water)
Title to be confirmed.
11.15 Coffee and chat 11.45 Keynote presentation Simon Ogden (Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust)
"Putting the Sheaf back in Sheffield – Building a Grassroots Urban Rivers Trust"
12.45 Lunch 13.45 Round table discussion/open Trout in the Town local groups
presentations
15.05 Tea and chat
15.25 Open presentations x2 Trout in the town local groups
16.05 Trout in the Town Paul Gaskell (WTT)
16.30 Close
9.30 Welcome Laura Bates (Chair RWF) and Paul Gaskell (WTT)
9.45 Introduction to the River Worth Sam Riley-Gunn (Aire Rivers Trust)
10.15 Keynote presentation Robert Hellawell (Friends of Bradford Becks) and Emily Eden (Yorkshire Water)
Title to be confirmed.
11.15 Coffee and chat 11.45 Keynote presentation Simon Ogden (Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust)
"Putting the Sheaf back in Sheffield – Building a Grassroots Urban Rivers Trust"
12.45 Lunch 13.45 Round table discussion/open Trout in the Town local groups
presentations
15.05 Tea and chat
15.25 Open presentations x2 Trout in the town local groups
16.05 Trout in the Town Paul Gaskell (WTT)
16.30 Close
our main speakers
Sam Riley-Gunn
Sam leads the citizen science volunteer programme at the Aire Rivers Trust, including projects such as river fly monitoring, “Outfall Safari”, and river modification mapping walkovers. He has also worked on a variety of river restoration projects, including the River Worth Restoration Project.
Formerly employed as the head Land and & Wildlife Management Lecturer at Newton Rigg Agricultural College. His land-based education background brings a practical land manager’s approach to river conservation.
Sam leads the citizen science volunteer programme at the Aire Rivers Trust, including projects such as river fly monitoring, “Outfall Safari”, and river modification mapping walkovers. He has also worked on a variety of river restoration projects, including the River Worth Restoration Project.
Formerly employed as the head Land and & Wildlife Management Lecturer at Newton Rigg Agricultural College. His land-based education background brings a practical land manager’s approach to river conservation.
Robert Hellawell
Robert is a "born again angler" who used to fish the canal as a boy. Back in those days, there were no fish in the River Aire where he lived. Robert worked for many years in textiles as a technician. Robert has been an active volunteer with the Friends of Bradford’s Becks since 2015 as a Riverfly monitor and investigating pollution as a citizen scientist. Evidence he has gathered has been used to stop and prosecute polluters, including a £1.6m fine for Yorkshire Water for polluting Bradford Beck. His exploits are documented on social media where he is known as #Urban Pollution Hunter.
Robert now works for the Aire Rivers Trust as their Water Quality Officer, with funding secured from polluters through work he did as a volunteer. He works closely with the authorities, and other river groups, to help reduce pollution and improve the Aire and her tributaries, particularly Bradford Beck.
Robert is a "born again angler" who used to fish the canal as a boy. Back in those days, there were no fish in the River Aire where he lived. Robert worked for many years in textiles as a technician. Robert has been an active volunteer with the Friends of Bradford’s Becks since 2015 as a Riverfly monitor and investigating pollution as a citizen scientist. Evidence he has gathered has been used to stop and prosecute polluters, including a £1.6m fine for Yorkshire Water for polluting Bradford Beck. His exploits are documented on social media where he is known as #Urban Pollution Hunter.
Robert now works for the Aire Rivers Trust as their Water Quality Officer, with funding secured from polluters through work he did as a volunteer. He works closely with the authorities, and other river groups, to help reduce pollution and improve the Aire and her tributaries, particularly Bradford Beck.
Emily Eden
Emily joined Yorkshire Water in June 2024, having previously worked as a geography teacher and then education lead for another water company. Passionate about her role as River Health Investigation and Engagement Lead, Emily is learning more than she ever dreamt of about the world of wastewater and the wonderful variety of waterways we have in West Yorkshire.
Emily joined Yorkshire Water in June 2024, having previously worked as a geography teacher and then education lead for another water company. Passionate about her role as River Health Investigation and Engagement Lead, Emily is learning more than she ever dreamt of about the world of wastewater and the wonderful variety of waterways we have in West Yorkshire.
Simon Ogden
Simon Ogden is chair of the Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust and a trustee of the Upper Don Trail Trust in Sheffield. He is Convener of Sheffield’s Waterways Strategy Group. For 15 years he was Head of Regeneration at Sheffield City Council. Rivers ran through his 35 years as a town planner, activist and urban historian. The Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust has galvanized efforts to recover and improve the rivers – involving planning battles, river rangers, citizen science, urban caving and more. “As a teenager I used to hang out on the Tyne quayside in Newcastle, and from then on I’ve always been fascinated by how to restore urban rivers,” he says. “If you grow up in the industrial north, you realise that rivers are fundamental to how cities grew and relate to their landscape.”
Simon Ogden is chair of the Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust and a trustee of the Upper Don Trail Trust in Sheffield. He is Convener of Sheffield’s Waterways Strategy Group. For 15 years he was Head of Regeneration at Sheffield City Council. Rivers ran through his 35 years as a town planner, activist and urban historian. The Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust has galvanized efforts to recover and improve the rivers – involving planning battles, river rangers, citizen science, urban caving and more. “As a teenager I used to hang out on the Tyne quayside in Newcastle, and from then on I’ve always been fascinated by how to restore urban rivers,” he says. “If you grow up in the industrial north, you realise that rivers are fundamental to how cities grew and relate to their landscape.”