The Friends of the Dart have been donated £10,000 to fund their Source to Sea programme.

The Source to Sea testing programme is a comprehensive initiative designed to assess the water quality of the entire span of the River Dart, from its origin to the estuary. This programme aims to generate valuable data essential for understanding and mitigating environmental challenges, ensuring the long-term resilience of the river ecosystem.

The Naturesave Trust, a renowned UK-focused environmental conservation organisation, approved a grant of £10,000 to support the Source to Sea testing programme initiated by Friends of the Dart, the largest grant ever awarded by the charity.

Since 1995, the Naturesave Trust has provided over £1.1 million in grants to grassroots organisations that often struggle to find funding. The organisation supports initiatives that align with its core values of sustainability and environmental conservation; and the recent grant awarded to Friends of the Dart exemplifies the Trust's dedication to empowering local environmental efforts by offering longer term support.

Friends of the Dart is a community-driven force dedicated to the health and vitality of the River Dart ecosystem. The programme is an ambitious undertaking designed to assess water quality throughout the entire span of the River Dart, from its origin to the estuary. Friends of the Dart have tested water quality at ten spots along the river over the past six months. The data is enabling them to have meaningful conversations with their stakeholders about the need for change. This comprehensive initiative will generate valuable data essential for understanding and mitigating environmental challenges, ensuring the long-term resilience of the river ecosystem.

Hannah Pearson, CEO of Friends of the Dart, expressed her gratitude for the support from the Naturesave Trust: "We are thrilled to have the backing of Naturesave Trust to fund a proportion of our Source to Sea testing programme. This grant validates the importance of our work and enables us to expand our efforts in safeguarding the River Dart. Securing these funds allows us to start this test programme in January. Together with Naturesave Trust, we are taking meaningful steps towards evidencing and improving the water quality of the River Dart for future generations."