The Don Catchment Rivers Trust was awarded the UK’s first ever Prix Charles Ritz for their exceptional community-focused urban river restoration project, the Living Heritage of the River Don.

The Kitemark is recognition by Voluntary Action Rotherham and the Rotherham Together Partnership, for organisations managing volunteers that receive a high quality, positive volunteering experience. DCRT received the award in recognition of the excellent systems and support in place for volunteers.

The Rivers Trusts awarded DCRT the recognition of excellence and achievement for its National Lottery Heritage Fund project, Living Heritage of the River Don.

The lockdown of March 2020 could have been a crisis for DCRT as our strong community engagement and volunteering programme is mainly built around encouraging people to get out and enjoy natural heritage and participate in community events and activities. Yet, the lockdown meant this had to stop. So, DCRT changed the way weworked and re-wrote their engagement plan, earning the Trust this award.

DCRT’s National Lottery Heritage Fund project, Living Heritage of the River Don, was commended.

Watch our video about the award and the project.