January 2026 – Wear Rivers Trust | North East Charity

Welcome Hannah Clow

We’re delighted to welcome Hannah to the team as our new Education Support Officer.

Hannah studied BSc Geography at Northumbria University, where she developed a strong interest in fluvial environments and green, nature-based solutions. Throughout her degree, Hannah spent significant time learning in the field, gaining hands-on experience that shaped both her knowledge and enthusiasm for environmental protection.

Having benefited from practical, outdoor learning herself, Hannah is now keen to return the favour by educating and inspiring younger generations. She is passionate about helping children and young people understand the importance of protecting their local environment, using the knowledge and experience she gained during her studies.

In her role as Education Support Officer, Hannah will support the delivery of educational activities that connect communities with their local rivers and landscapes, helping to build long-term understanding and care for the natural environment.

We’re excited to have Hannah on board and look forward to the positive impact she’ll make through her work with schools and communities.

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Welcome Cameron Curry

We’re delighted to welcome Cameron to the team as our new SuDS+ Support Officer.

A proud Northeast local and keen lover of the outdoors, Cameron is passionate about conserving and improving landscapes and waterways in ways that highlight their natural beauty while delivering real benefits for local communities.

Cameron joins us with an academic background in civil engineering and project management, studied at degree level. By combining his technical skills with his environmental interests, he developed a strong passion for Natural Flood Management (NFM). This led him to explore the topic further during his MSc, where his research focused on why natural flood management is not implemented as widely as it should be for a more sustainable future.

One of the key findings from Cameron’s research highlighted a lack of clear methods and data to demonstrate the wider social and environmental benefits of natural flood management. Motivated to help address this gap, Cameron joined the Wear Rivers Trust as a Monitoring Support Officer.

In his role supporting the SuDS+ project in Stanley, Cameron will focus on capturing and developing ways to record the community benefits of sustainable drainage systems, helping to build stronger evidence for their value beyond flood risk reduction alone.

We’re thrilled to have Cameron on board and look forward to the expertise, enthusiasm, and fresh perspective he brings to the team.

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Welcome to our new website!

A New Chapter for the Wear Rivers Trust

Welcome to the new Wear Rivers Trust website and thank you for being here.

The River Wear has shaped our landscape, our communities, and our history for generations. From its upland sources to where it meets the sea, it connects people, wildlife, and place. At Wear Rivers Trust, our aim is simple: to protect, restore, and celebrate the River Wear and its tributaries so they can continue to thrive long into the future.

This new website marks an important step forward for us. It reflects how much the Trust has grown, not just as an organisation, but as a community of volunteers, partners, landowners, schools, and supporters who care deeply about the health of our rivers.

Why our work matters

Rivers are living systems. When they are healthy, they support wildlife, help reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and contribute to our wellbeing. When they come under pressure from pollution, habitat loss, climate change, or physical modification, the effects are felt far beyond the riverbanks.

Across the Wear catchment, we see both challenges and reasons for hope. Some stretches of river need support, while others are beginning to recover thanks to collaborative action. Our role is to bring people together, use sound evidence and science, and deliver practical improvements that make a lasting difference.

What you’ll find here

This website is intended to be a place for everyone who cares about the River Wear. Here you can:

Learn more about our efforts and the difference they are making
Find opportunities to volunteer, partner with us, or support our work
Explore resources on river restoration, nature recovery, and catchment management
Keep up to date with news, events, and stories from across the catchment

We want this to be a space that informs, inspires, and encourages involvement.

Looking ahead

At Wear Rivers Trust, we are committed to working openly and collaboratively, always guided by what is best for the river and the people who depend on it.

Whether you are discovering us for the first time or have supported our work for years, thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can help ensure the River Wear remains a living, resilient river for generations to come.

Warm regards,

Kirstie Hutchinson, CEO

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